The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has frustrated many veterans with long wait times and confusing decisions on disability claims and appeals, but there are ways to make the annoyance less of a problem. Take the time to understand a few traits of the system and consider getting an attorney on your side to make your road to success a bit more smooth.
What Is The VA Looking For With A Successful Claim?
The concept of the VA disability program seems like a simple solution to help veterans who were afflicted by their military duty. If you were injured or otherwise suffered from a condition because of your military service, the VA should be able to give you monetary compensation and medical assistance.
Unfortunately, the system is a bit more complex in order to keep compensation funds available for veterans who need it. It isn't unheard of for veterans with no physical or mental conditions to claim false injuries in order to get benefits. For that reason, veterans must prove their conditions through a service-connection test.
The service-connection test determines how your condition is related to the military. Were you in the military when the condition started? Did your pre-existing condition become more severe because of your military career? These questions are asked and tested through a series of investigations and medical examinations.
The VA even sends you to a compensation and pension (C&P) examination for every issue that you're suffering from. Be sure to place every condition you have during the claim, even if you're not sure if it was before or after the military. Although it's illegal to claim a fraudulent condition for VA benefits, there's nothing wrong with using the C&P exam to get basic care for other conditions not related to military service.
While you wait for an answer to your appeal, make sure to enroll in the VA's healthcare system. It's available to any veteran with an other-than-dishonorable discharge, and can help with many minor medical issues as you wait on a response--and even after a denial.
An Attorney Can Help With The More Difficult Problems
Although you may run into the odd administrative mistake or excessive wait times during some of your appeal's process, you can push for more recognition and a more positive decision if you tailor your appeal with information that the VA can't easily ignore.
If you've been waiting on a VA appeal response for months or don't approve of how the local VA personnel are handling your claim, contact a personal injury attorney. With an attorney's assistance, you can have a deeper look into how your appeal is performing and what needs to change.
The VA claim system can be complex to the point of needing a professional, and an attorney has a better grasp of the different documentation and argument points needed to push your claim to success. The attorney may also have connections with medical professionals outside of the VA system who know the right ways to document medical evidence in a way that the VA understands.
Contact an attorney to bring better structure and more attention to your claim.
For professional legal help, contact a law firm such as Tiefenthaler Law Office.
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