Representing Veterans before the VA

by Joe R. Pilgrim, Attorney at Law and US Navy Veteran

A common question is asked when we speak with Veterans that have been turned down for VA disability benefits: how long will my appeal take?  This is a good question but a difficult one to answer because we, as a law firm, cannot dictate how long the VA takes to review appeals and make decisions.  We can, however, use our experience and knowledge to give your case the best chance it has at being granted VA disability benefits.

Ins-and-Outs of Appeals

The process of appealing a VA disability benefits matter depends upon where you are in your appeals.  If you have received a Rating Decision, you have 1 year to file an appeal to this decision.  If you have received a Statement of the Case (SOC), you have 60 days to file a VAF9, which is an Intent to File, then you should file a response to that SOC.  If your case is being Certified to the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA), you need to do other things yet.  And then there is the Court of Appeals of Veterans Claims (CAVC), another step in the appellate process if your claim needs to go that high up the appellate ladder.

Appeals can be frustrating, even for people that do them all the time.  The process is arduous, the VA moves slowly, and it can be difficult for Veterans to figure out what you need to do next in your efforts at being awarded the VA disability benefits that you deserve.  As Veterans’ attorneys, and some of us are Veterans that happen to be attorneys as well, we know the ins-and-outs of how to go about getting those benefits that you have earned.  In order for us to best provide assistance to you, you will need: a Rating Decision that is dated within the last year, your DD-214, proof of a diagnosis of a disease or illness, and your statement(s) as to how you were injured during your military service.

Fighting For What Veteran Clients Deserve

Some Veterans are not aware that some of your conditions can be “service connected.”  If you were driving off base during your active duty period and got into a vehicle accident, your incident happened “during your active duty period” and can be claimed as service connected. If you were injured in the line of duty by doing drills and you hurt yourself but it still bothers you to this day, you can show the VA that you were injured during service, it has continued to plague you, and that it should be service connected.

There are times when the VA still denies your claims for service connection or grants it but the disability rating is too low.  That’s where we come in.  If you are tired of fighting with the VA and need some support: we are here.  We unfortunately hear from some Veterans that they waited so long to ask for assistance because they were embarrassed to admit needing help: don’t do that!  You earned your benefits and you should have them.  Don’t let anything stop you from getting what you have earned.  We here at Berry Law are proud of being Veterans and representing Veterans before the VA, BVA, and the CAVC.  We fight hard for our Veteran clients to get them what they deserve.

Veterans Serving Veterans

If you do not choose Berry Law in your fight for your earned benefits, chose someone if you need assistance.  Don’t let your benefits go to waste: you earned those benefits.  If you do choose Berry Law, you can rest assured that you need to fight no longer: we’ll do all the heavy lifting and fight for you.

Choosing to hire a law firm is not a choice that you should take lightly: legal matters can be complicated, and you should never decide to hire a law firm based solely on an advertisement.  Give us a call and speak to one of our Intake Specialists and see if there is something that we can do to help you.  If you’re tired of fighting the VA, give Berry Law a phone call and let us fight for you!