Veterans Appeals

‘Duty to assist’ is a common phrase used by the VA and Veterans advocates related to the VA’s duty to help you in your pursuit of evidence for your VA claim. The VA has a duty to assist Veterans in the development of their claims for service connection. This includes…

Many Veterans are nervous that they could potentially lose their disability benefits in the future. If the VA thinks a disability potentially reduced in severity over time, they may send a notification of rating reduction. This does not mean your rating will be reduced without first having a chance to…

The Veteran Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (AMA) redesigned the VA benefit appeals system with the intent to increase the number of choices for Veterans when they disagree with the VA’s decisions regarding the Veteran’s benefit claim. Basically, AMA provided Veterans with more opportunities to appeal a rating decision…

Veterans diagnosed with non-combat PTSD but denied service connection frequently express a common frustration: “How can the VA say this never happened to me? I’m not lying!” But rather than accusing Veterans of stretching the truth, the VA will often cite a lack of evidence as reason for denial. With…

You’ve been waiting for months to qualify for VA disability benefits, and then you get the news: the VA has denied your claim. The VA denies around 30% of disability claims each year. It can be frustrating to learn that your claim for VA compensation was denied. You may feel…

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…

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…