Connecticut Veterans Law Firm

Connecticut VA Disability Attorneys

VA Disability Appeals in Connecticut

Veterans who were injured in service deserve fair compensation, but may need a VA disability attorney to help them receive the correct amount. Connecticut is underrepresented in receiving VA disability claims. Of the approximately 220,000 Veterans in Connecticut, roughly 11% of that group have at least one service-connected disability (trailing far behind the national average of 17%). Meanwhile, there are many more who have suffered injuries yet do not have a VA disability rating.

At Berry Law we represent Veterans from coast to coast. We pursue Veterans’ disability appeals at every VA Regional Office in the United States, and take great pride in defending Veterans’ rights. If you have been denied VA benefits, or are unhappy with your rating decision, you could benefit from the help of a Connecticut VA disability attorney. Please read on to learn more about how we can help Veterans in Connecticut.

Starting a VA Claim in Connecticut
Submitting a VA Appeal in Connecticut
Selecting a VA Disability Appeals Attorney
Berry Law: Veterans Serving Veterans
Serving Clients Throughout Connecticut
VSOs in Connecticut
VA Facilities in Connecticut

Starting a VA Claim in Connecticut

Getting started with a VA disability claim can begin from any location in the country, regardless of whether you served in that location.

You can apply directly online through the VA, or seek the help of a VSO (Veterans Service Organization).

Local VSOs in Connecticut

To get started, you need to complete VA Form 21-526EZ, or apply online through the VA eBenefits portal. If you want the VA to collect medical evidence on your behalf, you must also complete VA Forms 21-4142 and 21-4142a. Other relevant forms include VA Form 21-0781 or 21-0781a for PTSD claims, and VA Form 21-8940 and 21-4192 for Individual Unemployability (TDIU). The forms must be signed and dated, packaged with any evidence you wish for the VA to consider, and either mailed to the VA Evidence Intake Center in Janesville, Wisconsin, or faxed to the VA at the number listed on the form.

Initial claims can take a long time to process, so patience may be required.

It is important to start your claim early to establish an early effective date. Once set, the effective date will not change regardless of how long it takes to fully adjudicate a claim, which can take years. The importance of the effective date is that the Veteran should receive back pay at the monthly rate they are entitled to reaching from the final decision date all the way back to the effective date.

It is important to keep in mind that the effective date can be lost if you don’t maintain appeals for your claims. For example, if you have one year to file a notice of disagreement but miss the deadline, you may be forced to reopen your claim resulting in a new effective date. This is one reason it is so important to appeal decisions thoroughly, to keep the effective date in place and get all the compensation you are entitled to. See below for additional information about appealing VA decisions in Connecticut.

The effective date for each disability claim is independent so an early effective date for a claim based on knee pain will usually not apply to a gastrointestinal claim initially filed years later.

Submitting a VA Appeal in Connecticut

Despite a solid claim, the VA Regional Office may nonetheless make an improper decision for a Veteran’s initial claim. If an initial claim is denied, rated too low, or given an improper effective date, the Veteran has the right to appeal.

There are separate avenues for appeal depending on what kind of mistake the VA made. Berry Law can help you present the most compelling appeal for your case, and has achieved desired results for Veterans for decades.

We have attorneys and advocates in various locations throughout the US, but the location of your attorney does not actually impact the process because it is Federal in nature. Berry Law has helped Veterans in Connecticut, and every other state in America, along with Veterans in US territories and foreign countries.

The appeals process can be long, but as long as you have preserved your effective date by keeping appeals open, you are entitled to back pay for the whole period of the process.

The first type of appeal is usually a Notice of Disagreement (NOD). The NOD, usually due within one year of a rating decision, 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 Connecticut is located at: 555 Willard Ave. Newington, CT 06111.

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 review the material to make its own determination. 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 Connecticut please reach out to us for more information and a free consultation.

Selecting a VA-certified Disability Appeals Attorney

Don’t assume that every Connecticut VA disability attorney is identical. if you choose to get help from an attorney for preparing and submitting your claim, you should pick one that will stick with you for the duration of your case, and who has experience with appeals at every step of the process. A lengthy history of practicing Veterans law is a good indication that a Law Firm will not abandon you in the middle of an appeals process. Beware of firms that only began practicing Veterans Law after 2007 when it became more “profitable” for them.

The hardest aspect to select for is how well your lawyer will perform when it comes to extensive research, well-structured arguments, and compelling evidence. While number of years of practice can serve as a proxy, it’s hard to gauge work product until it’s done. Testimonials and reviews can provide additional insight that may help you determine how well the firm has done for other Veterans.

It’s also important to many Veterans to have lawyers who are themselves Veterans. Opting for a Connecticut VA appeals lawyer who has deployed or mobilized can make communicating about difficult issues easier and reduce the amount of time that you need to spend explaining how the military works. Having shared military values with your law firm can make the process more comfortable and less stressful. Will your law firm understand the intense stress of combat?

Finally, consider the values of the firm to see if they align with your own. This is a law firm that you may be tied to for a decade so be sure that they will be a good partner.

Berry Law: Veterans Serving Veterans

Berry Law was founded in 1965 by John Stevens Berry, Sr., who spent part of his time in the Army serving in Vietnam. During a JAG tour in Vietnam, he successfully defended Green Berets against murder charges, among other courtroom victories for his fellow servicemembers, earning him significant national praise. While developing a criminal defense practice, he also represented many Veterans on a pro bono basis against the VA. His son, John S. Berry, , is now the Managing Partner of the Firm, and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Nebraska National Guard, where he held multiple Command positions after earlier Active Duty tours in both Bosnia and Iraq. John has helped grow the firm while keeping its roots in military work ethic and values.

In our ranks are Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force Veterans. We have lawyers from each branch, and are proud to have both Officers and Enlisted, with service ranks ranging from E2 – O6 (including an E9). Our Veterans served during every major conflict since Vietnam, and combined have earned hundreds of awards, ribbons, and commendations for their service. We also have members of the Reserves and National Guard still wearing the uniform.

John Berry received the Patriot Award from the ESGR, and the firm has been named as “Military and Veterans Law Firm of the Year” by multiple agencies.

We combine our military and legal training to assist Connecticut Veterans with their legal needs.

Serving Clients Throughout Connecticut

Berry Law represents Veterans throughout Connecticut, including cities such as:

Bridgeport
Stamford
New Haven
Hartford
Waterbury
Norwalk
Danbury
New Britain
Bristol
Meriden
Milford
West Haven
Middletown
Shelton
Norwich
Torrington
Naugatuck
New London
Ansonia
Derby
Groton

Resources for Veterans in Connecticut

VSOs in Connecticut

VSOs can help you with a variety of services, including filing an initial claim.
The VA recognizes some VSOs as accredited to help prepare and present claims to the VA.

Local chapters in Connecticut include:

AMVETS Posts in Connecticut

Post CT-0001, West Haven
Post CT-0009, North Haven
Post CT-0013, Stafford Springs
Post CT-0018, Enfield
Post CT-0024, Torrington
Post CT-0043, Derby
Post CT-0050, Willimantic
Post CT-0083, Yalesville
Post CT-0911, Greenwich
Post CT-DEPT, Danielson

American Legion Posts in Connecticut

Post 1, Waterbury
Post 2, Bristol
Post 3, Stamford
Post 10, Seymour
Post 21, Danielson
Post 22, Thomaston
Post 23, Wethersfield
Post 24, Derby
Post 25, Beacon Falls
Post 26, Stafford Springs
Post 27, Litchfield
Post 28, New Hartford
Post 29, Greenwich
Post 30, New Canaan
Post 31, New Milford
Post 32, Unionville
Post 33, Plainville
Post 34, Milford
Post 36, Windsor Locks
Post 38, Torrington
Post 4, Norwich
Post 40, East Windsor
Post 41, Lyme
Post 42, Stratford
Post 43, Winsted
Post 44, Bantam
Post 45, Meriden
Post 46, Goshen
Post 48, Guilford
Post 49, Canaan
Post 5, Watertown
Post 50, Ansonia
Post 52, Coventry/Mansfield
Post 53, Farmington
Post 54, Colchester
Post 56, Glastonbury
Post 58, Stonington
Post 59, Windsor
Post 6, New Britain
Post 60, Danbury
Post 61, Deep River
Post 62, Ellington
Post 63, Westport
Post 64, East Hampton
Post 66, Clinton
Post 67, North Grosvenordale
Post 68, Berlin
Post 69, Portland
Post 70, Salisbury
Post 71, West Haven
Post 72, Southington
Post 73, Wallingford
Post 74, Fairfield
Post 75, Middletown
Post 76, North Haven
Post 77, East Hartford
Post 78, Ridgefield
Post 79, Madison
Post 8, Hartford
Post 80, Enfield
Post 83, Branford
Post 84, Simsbury
Post 85, Baltic
Post 86, Wilton
Post 87, Washington Depot
Post 88, Hamden
Post 89, East Haven
Post 9, New London
Post 90, Collinsville
Post 91, Moosup
Post 92, Cheshire
Post 94, Suffield
Post 95, Hebron
Post 96, West Hartford
Post 97, Chester
Post 98, Georgetown
Post 100, Bethel
Post 101, Somers
Post 102, Manchester
Post 103, Westbrook
Post 104, Taftville
Post 105, Cromwell
Post 106, Hampton
Post 11, Bridgeport
Post 111, Woodstock
Post 112, Montville
Post 113, Old Saybrook
Post 114, Groton
Post 115, Noank
Post 116, Bloomfield
Post 117, Newington
Post 12, Norwalk
Post 122, Burlington
Post 123, Rocky Hill
Post 126, Sharon
Post 127, Orange
Post 128, Niantic
Post 13, Putnam
Post 131, Hartford
Post 132, New Haven
Post 133, South Windsor
Post 134, Bridgeport
Post 135, Waterbury
Post 137, Harwinton
Post 138, Bozrah
Post 14, Rockville
Post 140, Bridgeport
Post 141, Trumbull
Post 142, Hartford
Post 143, Stratfield
Post 146, Bethlehem
Post 147, Southbury
Post 15, Jewett City
Post 150, Hamden
Post 152, Pawcatuck
Post 153, Kent
Post 154, Thompsonville
Post 155, Woodbury
Post 156, East Haddam
Post 159, Riverton
Post 16, Shelton
Post 160, Easton
Post 161, Waterford
Post 162, New Haven
Post 165, Wolcott
Post 167, Bridgeport
Post 17, Naugatuck
Post 173, Morris
Post 174, Oxford
Post 176, Monroe
Post 177, Bridgeport
Post 1771, Gov. Foot Guard
Post 18, Essex
Post 180, Lebanon
Post 182, Granby
Post 184, Durham
Post 187, Wallingford
Post 19, Willimantic
Post 192, Middlefield
Post 194, Prospect
Post 195, Oakville
Post 196, Milford
Post 197, Marlborough
Post 199, Plainville
Post 20, Terryville
Post 201, Avon
Post 202, Newtown
Post 203, Eastford
Post 204, Heritage Village
Post 205, Gales Ferry
Post 206, Middletown
Post 207, Middlebrook

VFW Posts in Connecticut

Post 10004, Jewett City Post, Jewett City, CT
Post 10052, Pvt. Lester Rochford Post, Cheshire, CT
Post 10059, Trumbull Memorial Post, Trumbull, CT
Post 10060, Montville Memorial Post, Uncasville, CT
Post 10088, Thompson Memorial Post, Quinebaug, CT
Post 1009, Bloomfield Post, Bloomfield, CT
Post 10112, Cos Cob Memorial Post, Old Greenwich, CT
Post 10153, Old Saybrook Memorial Post, Old Saybrook, CT
Post 10169, Durham Post, Durham, CT
Post 10190, Georgetown Area Memorial Post, Georgetown, CT
Post 10201, Jason D. Lewis Brookfield Memorial Post 10201, Brookfield, CT
Post 10251, Major Michael Donnelly Post 10251, South Windsor, CT
Post 10273, Connecticut Law Enforcement Post, Bridgeport, CT
Post 10321, Charles W. Wood Post, Hamden, CT
Post 10361, Farmington Memorial Post, Plainville, CT
Post 10362, Middlefield-Rockfall Post, Rockfall, CT
Post 10466, Huntington Post, Shelton, CT
Post 10589, Nathan Hale Memorial Post, Coventry, CT
Post 10688, Canterbury Memorial Post, Canterbury, CT
Post 10689, Ellington Memorial Post, Ellington, CT
Post 10690, Higganum-Haddam Memorial Post, Higganum, CT
Post 10732, Berlin Post, Berlin, CT
Post 12084, Seymour Post, Seymour, CT
Post 12106, Branford Memorial Post, Branford, CT
Post 12150, New Haven Post, New Haven, CT
Post 1265, Harley P. Chase Post, Pawcatuck, CT
Post 145, Harris-Rogers Post, Bridgeport, CT
Post 1467, Lyme-Old Lyme Post, Old Lyme, CT
Post 149, Raymond A. Walling Post, Danbury, CT
Post 1523, Albert J. Breault Post, Putnam, CT
Post 1607, George Newton Post, Southbury, CT
Post 1672, Andrew B. Mygatt Post, New Milford, CT
Post 1724, Gold Star Post, Willimantic, CT
Post 1840, Middletown Post, Middletown, CT
Post 189, Murphy-Rathbun Post, New London, CT
Post 1926, Metacomet Post, Simsbury, CT
Post 1946, Crusader Post, Naugatuck, CT
Post 1979, Wolcott Post, Wolcott, CT
Post 201, Wheeler-Young Post, Waterbury, CT
Post 2046, Anderson-Shea Post, Manchester, CT
Post 2083, Rochambeau Elms Post 2083, East Hartford, CT
Post 2096, Madison Post, Madison, CT
Post 2138, Bennino-Beck Post, Rocky Hill, CT
Post 2212, Frederick J. Sullivan Post, Taftville, CT
Post 254, Lt. Caldwell Colt Robinson Post, Hartford, CT
Post 2650, Killingly Brooklyn Memorial Post, Danielson, CT
Post 2774, Salem Memorial Post, Salem, CT
Post 296, Seicheprey Post, Winsted, CT
Post 3052, Ridgefield Post, Ridgefield, CT
Post 308, Charles Howard Peck Sr. & /Eric G Blantin Post, Newtown, CT
Post 3263, Hugo A. Simonelli Post, Mystic, CT
Post 3272, Gildo T. Consolini, Avon, CT
Post 3336, East Haddam-Moodus Memorial Post, Moodus, CT
Post 399, Joseph J. Clinton Post, Westport, CT
Post 4608, A R Evans Jr & C A Lutz Sr Post, Gales Ferry, CT
Post 4740, Raymond B. Mc Hugh Post, Windsor, CT
Post 4908, Carroll Harrington Barber Post, East Killingly, CT
Post 5095, Fowler-Dix-Park Post, East Hampton, CT
Post 511, VFW 511, New Britain, CT
Post 5157, Water-Oak Post, Watertown, CT
Post 5446, William L. Mercier Post, Plainfield, CT
Post 572, Alexander Gregorek Post, Thomaston, CT
Post 574, Madeley-Roberts Post, Plainville, CT
Post 583, Middlesex Post, Middletown, CT
Post 5849, Kari-Hill Post, Niantic, CT
Post 591, Major Raoul Lufbery Post, Wallingford, CT
Post 594, VFW Post 594 Norwich CT, Norwich, CT
Post 597, Comcowich-Carver Post, Derby, CT
Post 603, Mulvoy-Tarlov-Aquino Post, Norwalk, CT
Post 6121, Portland Post, Portland, CT
Post 6123, Smalley Brothers Post, Windsor Locks, CT
Post 653, Corp. Howard M. Bossa Post, New Canaan, CT
Post 6573, Waterford Post, Waterford, CT
Post 6726, Essex Post, Centerbrook, CT
Post 6851, Couch-Pipa Post, Canaan, CT
Post 6933, Darien Post, Darien, CT
Post 6990, Adler-Boluck Post, Colchester, CT
Post 7330, Oakville Post, Oakville, CT
Post 7666, Edward A. Norton Post, Guilford, CT
Post 7788, Travis C. Kitchen Post, Milford, CT
Post 7790, BROOKLYN VALLEY VFW 7790, WATERBURY, CT
Post 8075, Mattatuck Post, Prospect, CT
Post 8776, Hebron Memorial Post, Hebron, CT
Post 9066, Franklin Post, Franklin, CT
Post 9243, Berkshire Post, Lakeville, CT
Post 935, Bethel Post, Bethel, CT
Post 938, Corporal Henry Toberman Post, Willington, CT
Post 9422, West Haven Memorial Post, West Haven, CT
Post 9427, Sgt. Thomas J. Nelson Post, Fairfield, CT
Post 9452, Preston Post, Preston, CT
Post 9460, Raymond T. Goldbach Post 100 Veterans Blvd, Stratford, CT
Post 9544, Landry-Sic Post, Suffield, CT
Post 9617, Springdale Post No. 9617, Stamford, CT
Post 9836, Fireman 2/C Julian Rudek Post, Newington, CT
Post 9856, Cornwall Post, Cornwall Bridge, CT
Post 9918, Clinton Post, Clinton, CT
Post 9929, Hannon-Hatch Post, West Hartford, CT
Post 9965, Stanley Budleski Post, Yalesville, CT
Post 9990, Stafford Post, Stafford Springs, CT

VA Facilities in Connecticut

Some of the VA locations in Connecticut are:

The Regional Office in Connecticut is located at: 555 Willard Ave. Newington, CT 06111
VA Benefits Center at U.S. Naval Submarine Base, 1 Crystal Lake Road, Groton, CT 06349
Intake Site at Coast Guard Academy, 15 Mohegan Ave., Munro Hall, New London, CT 06320
Intake Site at US Naval Submarine Base New London at Groton, Fleet and Family Support Center, Bldg. 83, Groton, CT 06349
West Haven VA Medical Center, 950 Campbell Ave. (BLDG 1, RM G197), West Haven, CT 06516

Connecticut Veterans
Disability Firm

Connecticut VA Disability Attorneys

Starting a VA Claim in Connecticut

Submitting a VA Appeal in Connecticut

Selecting a VA-certified Disability Appeals Attorney

Berry Law: Veterans Serving Veterans

Serving Clients Throughout Connecticut

Resources for Veterans in Connecticut

VA Facilities in Connecticut

Serving Veterans Nationwide

PTSD Lawyers

Other Office locations

Connecticut Veterans Disability Firm

Connecticut VA Disability Attorneys

Starting a VA Claim in Connecticut

Submitting a VA Appeal in Connecticut

Selecting a VA-certified Disability Appeals Attorney

Berry Law: Veterans Serving Veterans

Serving Clients Throughout Connecticut

Resources for Veterans in Connecticut

VA Facilities in Connecticut

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Serving Veterans Nationwide

PTSD Lawyers

Other Office locations

Connecticut Veterans
Disability Firm