We’ve all heard horror stories about veterans getting denied their disability compensation and having to fight against the VA bureaucracy. If you are going to apply for disability compensation, you’ll want to do everything in your power to avoid these problems. Fortunately, there are some steps that you can take now to give your disability claim the best chances of success. The key is to be organized, honest, patient, and most of all, persistent throughout the length of the process.
Despite your best efforts, your claim could still get denied. The veterans benefits lawyers at Jackson & MacNichol can help. We will bring our many years of experience to bear on your case to give you the upper hand in the appeals process. And we don’t charge any fee unless we get you your compensation benefits. If you want to appeal the denial of your disability compensation, call us today at 1(888) 492-2941 for a free consultation.
You Can Take Steps Now to Increase Your Chances of Getting Compensation
If you want to improve your chances of getting service connected veterans disability compensation, you can follow these steps:
- Learn about the process–Battles are often lost and won based on which side had the best information, and how they used that information to their advantage. The disability claims process is no different. By educating yourself about the VA and their procedures, you will avoid unpleasant surprises with your claim.
- Organize your medical records–You’ll want to include every credible piece of medical evidence that shows that you are disabled. Your medical records may go back years, but it’s well worth the effort to organize them and present them to the VA to show exactly when your conditions occurred, and how their severity has evolved over time.
- Don’t miss your C&P Exam–The VA will decide whether to give you compensation based on the medical evidence you submit, your service records, and often a report from a VA doctor after a compensation and pension exam. The VA will schedule this exam for you, and you should make every effort to be there on time and to answer the doctor’s questions. You can request to reschedule the exam if you don’t think you’ll be able to make it, but you should do so well in advance of the scheduled date.
- Be truthful and honest–You may be tempted to exaggerate your symptoms when answering the doctor’s questions at the C&P exam. Or you may think it could help your case to include unsupported information in your medical records. Resist this temptation. Although a very small minority may get away with it, lying during the disability claims process usually has serious consequences.
- Don’t give up the fight–If your claim gets denied, you may be disgusted, disappointed, and confused. You may be so annoyed with the process that you never want to deal with the VA again. But this is the very moment where you need to collect yourself and get ready to fight the next battle by appealing your claim. And you only have one year to file your appeal from the date on your decision letter.
A Lawyer Can Help You Appeal the Denial of Your Claim
When it comes to appealing your disability claim, the VA’s statistics show your chances of success will increase significantly if you work with an experienced veterans benefits lawyer. At this point in the process, your lawyer’s knowledge of the law and advocacy skills can make a big difference. Whether the VA denied your claim or gave you an unfairly low disability rating, the veterans disability lawyers of Jackson & MacNichol can help. Call us today at 1 (888) 492-2941 for your free consultation.