If you have a medical condition related to your service in any branch of U.S. military service, you may be eligible for disability compensation benefits available through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ("the VA"). You may also be eligible for dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) benefits as the surviving spouse of a military veteran who had a service-related disability or disease. If you have applied and been denied, that does not have to be the end of your quest.
Applications for veterans compensation and pension benefits can be completed online or in person at any VA service center, but unjust claim denials and administrative problems are common. Persistence may not be enough to overcome an initial claim denial. Some cases are in the system for many years, and representation by a qualified lawyer may prove critical to your success.
Essential Information Related to Your Eligibility and Claim Denials
If you are evaluating whether to apply for veterans disability compensation benefits or want to contest a denied claim, you should know that:
- You will be required to prove that you have a current medical or psychological condition considered severe under VA criteria and connected to an event or condition that occurred during your military service — but that condition does not have to be combat-related.
- The amount of compensation you receive if approved will be based in part on the disability "rating" you are assigned — and this can be appealed and modified.
- Total disability is not a requirement for receiving veterans benefits and, in fact, many veterans receive partial disability compensation while continuing to work.
- Many veterans collect other state or federal government benefits in addition to what they receive from the VA, including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) if applicable.
- You may need to claim an earlier effective date for benefits.
Alabama Counsel From Montgomery to Tuscaloosa: Veterans Disability Appeals
Our founding partner, attorney Douglas I. Friedman, has lectured and published on important veterans' issues, including disabilities related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Agent Orange exposure. He is a sustaining member of the National Organization of Veterans Advocates equipped to help military veterans pursue their valid claims through disability compensation benefits hearings and appeals at all levels of this complex government system.
For counsel at any phase of your effort to get the veterans compensation you are entitled to, including appealing a denied claim or requesting a hearing, contact us today at Friedman & Downey, P.C., in Birmingham. An attorney knowledgeable in denied VA disability claims will welcome your inquiry.
