Veterans Disability Appeals

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), veterans and their families make up almost 20 percent of the population in the United States. Thousands of eligible veterans claims are filed every year, and the government often rejects or denies these claims, even when you and your family needs and deserves those benefits. When a veterans benefits claim is reduced, denied, or ignored, it hurts not only you, but also your family and loved ones.

The Law Office of John M. Williams, LLC protects the service connected disability rights of veterans.  John M. Williams is accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs to prepare, present and prosecute claims for Veterans Benefits before the Department of Veterans Affairs.  He is also a member of the Military Law Section of the National Bar Association and Cincinnati Bar Association.

How Does the VA Claims Process Work?

• File Your VA Disability Claim

If a veteran has a medical or mental condition related to their active duty military service, they can file a claim for disability benefits with VA at any point following their service but however, there are exceptions.  The sooner a veteran files a VA claim, the better.

To apply for disability compensation, military veterans should file a claim with VA through their website.

To reopen a previously denied claim, veterans can also file a Supplemental Claim by submitting “new and relevant” evidence.  A change in the law, for example, the PACT Act-related conditions which were previously denied, is also a reason to file a Supplemental Claim.

• If Your Claim Was Denied

Under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA), veterans have multiple appeal options from which they can select the one best suited to the unique needs of their case.  These are:

Higher-Level Review: Request a review of your current claim by a senior VA employee;

Supplemental Claim: Submit new and relevant evidence as part of a Supplemental Claim; or

Notice of Disagreement: File a Notice of Disagreement with the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.

• Hiring a VA Disability Lawyer for Your Appeal

A VA disability lawyer can help take the burden of the VA appeals process off your shoulders.  Veterans’ claims agents and attorneys have knowledge and experience when it comes to navigating VA’s claims and appeals system.

When researching representatives to handle your VA disability claim or appeal, it is important to determine whether a representative is accredited by VA.  VA-accredited attorneys or representatives are individuals recognized by VA as legally authorized and capable of assisting claimants in pursuit of benefits before VA. Claimants can use the VA Office of General Counsel (OGC) database to find out if the representative who wants to help them is accredited.

Contact us today at (513) 791-7919 if the VA denied your benefits claim.