The Veteran Benefits & Disability Claims Guide

The VA may send you for a Compensation and Pension Exam, (C&P. The VA relies on these exams in deciding your case. What do you need to know before you go?   Who is performing the exam? The examiner’s qualifications are important and can make a big difference in the result. And, those qualifications may vary …

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“Wrong Form” Letters You thought you had finally figured out which form to send to the VA and how to fill it out. Then, the VA sends you a  letter  acknowledging  your submission, but saying it won’t be accepted because you didn’t use the correct form. The VA isn’t saying they don’t know what your …

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In a previous post we discussed that to prove a VA disability claim you must have a medical opinion – a so-called “medical nexus” – connecting your current medical condition to an event or injury in the service. This means that a doctor must say that it is “as likely as not” that your current …

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The answer to this question may change over time.  I think that the answer today is different than when Higher Level Reviews became part of the new VA claims process, called the Appeals Modernization Act, in February 2019. So please keep in mind that what we say today might change. Right now, we find that …

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The new VA claims procedure, effective in February 2019, continues to evolve in front of our eyes. One of the most interesting aspects is whether to request a Higher Level Review of a decision, or to appeal directly to the Board of Veterans Appeals. The most attractive aspect of an HLR is that your claim …

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If you or a loved one was a veteran, you may encounter people who say they are experts in the field of Veterans Benefits, just to discover later that their knowledge is limited, biased, or non-existing to begin with. The following are examples of how the wrong person can be detrimental to your VA claim. …

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Having your VA disability claim denied can be discouraging, but it’s important to remember that a skilled attorney or claims agent can often win the claim on appeal. One way in which attorneys help veterans is by finding errors in the decision that can be grounds for an appeal.  There are many procedural errors in …

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Despite rarely receiving a rating of more than 10%, tinnitus is the most common VA disability claim. In many cases, tinnitus is considered a secondary disability to conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), or temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).  Tinnitus Symptoms and Treatment Options Tinnitus is characterized by hearing sound when no external …

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GERD and IBS can be very difficult conditions to live with. If you are not yet rated for either GI condition, think about filing for both and see what sticks.

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