During his daily press briefing on 4/2/2020, President Trump announced that he had directed the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer relief to Veterans during the coronavirus pandemic in two significant ways. The first step will be to halt collection of debts owed to the VA during the crisis. The…
While Sailors find themselves in many different roles all over the world, from the construction-related hazards experienced by Seabees to the cramped quarters endured by the Silent Service, there are common Navy disabilities and injuries that Navy Veterans are more prone to. In this article, we will outline some of…
The Veteran Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (also known as the AMA), has changed the way Veterans are able to appeal VA decisions. The new process consists of multiple different avenues to appeal your claim. All decisions issued on or after February 19, 2019, must be appealed through…
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 Office of Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) said the Veterans Benefits Administration spent $10.1 million on unwarranted reexaminations during the March-August 2017 review period, according to a report in the Washington Post. The 19,800 cases out of 53,500 classified as unwarranted reexaminations accounted for 37…
In addition to VA disability compensation, several other forms of increased compensation may be available to you or your spouse. One specific type of increased compensation is known as “Aid & Attendance” and may be paid as an increase to a veteran’s disability compensation or as an increase to a…
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…
On February 19, 2019, the Appeals Modernization Act went into effect. The act changes how Veterans file new claims and appeal denied claims. Most importantly, new forms need to be used to file and appeal most claims. Below is the list of forms you now need to use. 526ez: Application…
When the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) denies your disability benefits or assigns you a lower disability rating than you believe you have, you may choose to appeal the disability rating. The right to appeal is preserved through the filing of a Notice of Disagreement (NOD). Veterans have only a…
The answer to this question varies, and as many people find when they ask an attorney a question, they usually get the same initial response: “Well, it depends…” The VA has standards that it’s employees must follow when considering whether to grant direct service connection, presumptive service connection, service connection…
