As anyone with a trick knee or a troublesome shoulder knows, musculoskeletal injuries don’t always heal completely. The pain might fade for a while, only to return in spades. In VA disability terms, this is commonly known as a flare-up. The precise cause of flare-ups might not be easy to…
If you receive disability benefits from the VA, you know how important the payments you receive are. What some Veterans may not know at first, however, is that the VA will periodically request to reexamine you so that they can re-evaluate your disability rating. The VA’s request for a “review examination” may…
If you suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in service, the VA may grant you compensation entitlement based on cognitive, emotional/behavioral, and physical loss of functioning. For its most basic ratings criteria, the VA will evaluate your memory; judgment; social interaction; orientation; motor activity; visual spatial orientation; subjective symptoms; neurobehavioral…
The VA Schedule of Rating Disabilities provides a basis for service connection and rating each disability. The Schedule of Ratings lists disabilities under different categories based on the part of the body affected. Under each category is a list of diagnostic codes, representing common disabilities of that body part. Schedule…
Veterans applying for a 100% disability rating typically go through a long, drawn out process of filing for disability and appealing multiple decisions by the VA. Getting to 100% is often the goal for severely injured Veterans, and reaching that goal can be a huge source of relief and comfort.…
Today I spoke with a Veteran who has been a client of our firm for approximately five years. During the first year of representation, he received a backpay award of almost $50,000. However, after reviewing the rating decision, it was clear the VA should have increased his rating and service-connected…
When dealing with VA claims and appeals, you may come to the realization that you need help from a professional. Some Veterans will use a Veterans’ Service Organization (VSO) to help them with their appeals because it is a cost efficient (usually free) way to make your case. A VSO…
by Jerusha Hancock, Veteran’s Attorney Last month, the H.R. 299 Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act was unanimously approved by the House of Representatives and is now waiting for a vote by the Senate. Currently, only Veterans who can show that they were “boots on ground” in Vietnam or served…
by Stephani Bennett, Attorney at Law and US Air Force Veteran A traumatic brain injury, commonly known as a TBI, typically occurs when a person receives a hit to their head. Immediate symptoms include loss of consciousness, confusion, blurred vision, headache, nausea, fatigue, problems with speech, and concentration difficulty. Typically,…
Once the VA service-connects a Veteran for a disability, they will assign a disability rating. Veterans unsatisfied with this rating have the right to appeal the decision. But after going through the appeals process and finally being granted an accurate rating, what if a Veteran’s disability gets worse? Can he…
