Appealing a VA Decision with a Louisiana VA Disability Lawyer
Even the most thoroughly prepared claim for benefits may not yield the desired result for a Veteran’s initial claim. When initial claims are denied, given a lower-than-expected rating, or applied to an incorrect effective date, the Veteran has the right to appeal. This is the step where you can enlist a dedicated Louisiana VA disability lawyer from Berry Law.
You can appeal in a number of different ways depending on how the decision was reached. The Louisiana VA disability attorneys at Berry Law help Veterans cut through the red tape and file high quality appeals that have been a crucial part of helping Veterans get the compensation they deserve, including back pay. Our team has helped its clients recover over $100 Million in backpay over decades of client service.
We have attorneys and advocates in various locations throughout the US, but the location of your attorney does not actually impact the VA claims process because it is Federal in nature. This means that a Louisiana VA disability lawyer does not have to be physically located in Louisiana to help you. Berry Law has helped Veterans in Louisiana, and each of the other 49 states, along with Veterans living abroad.
Some appeals processes can last years, but as long as you have preserved your effective date by keeping appeals open, you are entitled to receive back pay for every month that elapsed during the process.
The first type of appeal is usually a Notice of Disagreement (NOD). This form notifies the VA that you disagree with the decision that has been made. NODs can be as simple as filling out the form and commenting “I disagree” or can include dozens of pages of supporting material. The Regional Office in Louisiana is located at: 1250 Poydras St. Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70113.
The Regional Office will reply with a Statement of Case (SOC), which presents the state of the case and is sent to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA). The BVA will issue a decision that may or may not satisfy the Veteran. If you feel that the BVA has made an incorrect ruling, the next step is to appeal to the CAVC.
If you would like help appealing a VA decision in Louisiana, please contact a Louisiana VA disability lawyer from Berry Law at (888) 883-2483 for a free consultation on what your options may be.