How You Can Help Your VA Claim

While having an attorney can definitely help you navigate the system, as well as determine what evidence you need to gather, there are some things that you can do to help your claim.

The 3 Steps

1. Raid the attic! And while you’re at it, raid the attics of anybody who knew you while you were in service: friends, family members, and spouses. Look for awards, certificates, pictures, video, letters home, letters sent to you, newspaper clippings, and so forth. These items can be used as evidence of where you were stationed (especially if your personnel records are incomplete), an in-service event or injury, your physical state at the time, and other elements.
2. Keep detailed medical records. Request medical records from your doctors and keep copies of them. Different doctors and medical facilities will have different document retention policies, but will destroy records after a certain amount of time has passed.
3. Contact your buddies. Social media is a great place to start looking if you’ve lost touch with people you served with, as is the website for your company. A buddy statement can help you establish a claim, or an in-service stressor. You can also get statements from friends and loved ones who knew you while you were in service and can talk about injuries or illnesses that you had, or changes in personality if you’re making a claim for a mental health condition.

Remember, while an attorney can help you make your case to the VA for compensation, and can provide expert advice on what evidence you’ll need to establish your claim, we don’t know what’s in your attic, or what other evidence you might have. If you have any questions about how to establish your claim, or need help seeking compensation, call (888) 883-2483 for a free consultation with one of our intake specialists.