How An Attorney Can Help
Overview of VA disability compensation and how to apply | VA.gov
If you speak with a disability attorney who has worked with veterans to get their VA and Social Security disability entitlements, this will help to ensure you have provided all the documentation needed to support your claim. Often there are delays due to insufficient documentation being provided. Your attorney will have experience and knowledge about how the SSA works and should know what is required to win both a VA and SSD claim. Processing claims for any disability payments often take months and even in some cases years for a decision to be reached. You can normally expect to receive an answer more quickly if you ask an attorney to work on your behalf. Most attorneys, but not necessarily all, do not require any upfront payments for their services, so you will only need to pay legal fees once your claim have been settled. If your claims are denied you may not be asked to pay any legal fees. If you are unsure of the terms of hiring an attorney, check with the attorney before going through the hiring process. This will ensure you arent unduly worried about an unexpected bill being posted to you. As many claims are denied the first time round this shouldnt discourage you, as your chosen attorney can work through the appeals process with the hope of winning a favorable settlement on your behalf sooner rather than later. Complete the Free Case Evaluation today! Applying For Va Disability Benefits Years After Service Tip #: Write Strong Personal Statements Using 38 Cfr Part 4 As Your North StarIf youre going to file a successful VA disability claim, you must get inside the process, and understand HOW the VA will review and rate your claim. To start, I think you need to gain a deep understanding of the law that governs the various disabilities. To do that, you must begin with the source document! CFR 38, Part 4, Schedule for Rating Disabilities is the one-and-only source document to glean information about the Schedule for Rating Disabilities. It is also THE guiding document used by the VA Rater reviewing your claim. I highly recommend reading through the entire publication. Its long, I know. But understanding the various claimable disabilities and all corresponding ratings, is critical to getting a favorable outcome. And, you must understand if your disability condition is even claimable and ratable. Did you know there are more than 833 ratable disabilities under the law? *EXPERT TIP!* As youre going through CFR, Title 38 Part 4, Schedule for Rating Disabilities, open an MS Word file on your computer, and begin copying/pasting various disability conditions that may pertain to you. You might be surprised at how many disabilities you actually qualify for. I also recommend writing a Statement in Support of a Claim on the VA Form 21-4138 for EVERY disability youre filing for. For example, youre going to open and file one VA claim with many different disability conditions. Guess what else? Veterans Pension Versus Disability CompensationIn some cases, veterans can receive disability compensation. It’s not the same as the VA pension. Heres a way to tell the difference:
Don’t Miss: California Biweekly Pay Calculator Dont Choose A Disability Date Before You Stop WorkingSelecting your onset date of disability is a key factor in proving your disability claim. Multiple factors need to be considered when selecting a date and one that can be proven. This is not a cut and dry decision. However, what is true in most cases is that if you select a disability date prior to the date you stopped working full time, your claim will be delayed and most likely denied Other Tips For The Claims Process
You May Like: Sample 504 Plan For Food Allergies If Your Application Is DeniedAfter we review your application and the information you provided, we may decide you do not meet the qualifications for disability benefits. If you disagree with our decision, you have the right to ask us to look at your application again. The notice you receive from us that says you don’t qualify will explain how to appeal our decision and the time period in which you must make the request. If we decide you don’t qualify:
My Experience Filing For Va DisabilityIn my case, I chose to work with a VSO rep who had an office in the local VA hospital. After I filed my initial claim, I had to wait 14 months to receive my physical examination. I was told the delay had happened at the regional processing center, not the local VA hospital. When I finally had my exam, the folks at the VA hospital were in a rush to complete my case, since the metrics looked bad . On the one hand, this meant that my case was given priority. On the other hand, in the rush to close out my paperwork a few corners were cut. For example, one of the specialists I needed to see was not available, and I never received that portion of my exam. The claim was processed without it, and that portion of my claim was denied. Overall, exam day was a neutral experience . Several of my examiners were skeptical of my claimed disabilities, which was frustrating when they seemed to make up their minds against my claim almost instantly, regardless of what I said. It was difficult for me to catalog my ailments and argue for my disability after years of conditioning to show no weakness and admit nothing to the doctor. Take Vitamin M and drive on doesnt leave a very strong paper trail for supporting your case, and old habits are hard to break. Don’t Miss: 90 Va Disability And Working What Evidence Do You Need For Your ApplicationThe evidence you gather for your SSI and SSDI applications are similar to that for your VA disability claim. Be sure to have evidence, including:
You will also need personal documents including your original birth certificate and Social Security card when applying. If you have questions about specific evidence to gather, call your local Social Security office. Why It Is Important To Have A Disability Attorney When You Apply For Ssd Benefits
How do I apply for Veterans’ Disability with or without a VA Certified Lawyer?
The application process takes a few hours to complete, but only if you have all your paperwork ready. The benefits of having an experienced SSD attorney to help you file your application become obvious as you try to work through the SSAs roadblocks and complicated system. But Richmond disability lawyer Corey Pollard has years of experienced helping disabled workers prepare a strong SSD application so that your odds of being approved are as high as possible. Well gather the appropriate paperwork, answer your questions, make sure everything is done correctly, and work to build your case. Call now to apply for Social Security disability benefits in Richmond, VA. Don’t Miss: Is Crohn’s Disease A Permanent Disability Other Ways To File Claims For Va Disability BenefitsIf you do not wish to utilize Ebenefits, there are several other ways to submit your claim for benefits, including the following:
Our Law Firm Is Here To Support Disabled VeteransTo summarize how to apply for VA disability benefits, you need to ensure you are eligible, submit supporting documentation, complete an application, and file your claim. While this only covers four steps, each one can be time-confusing and the expectations difficult to understand at times. Our best advice is to request a VSO if you feel uncertain. Paying attention to details and providing enough supporting documentation is key to a successful outcome with initial VA disability claims. Our experienced veteran attorneys are available to represent you if the VA denies your claim. We invite you to complete Hill & Pontons online case evaluation that should take less than three minutes of your time. Someone from our practice will follow up with you within one business day to arrange a time to discuss your case in more detail. Read Also: 504 Plan Food Allergies Tips For Applying For Social Security Disability And Va Benefits As A Disabled Veteran
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