VETERANS ADMINISTRATION APPEALS PROCESS

APPEALING YOUR DENIED CLAIM FOR SERVICE-CONNECTED BENEFITS

If you’ve applied for VA service-connected disability benefits and have been denied or received a disability rating you’re unhappy with, you can and should appeal your VA decision. 

The process can be long and arduous with many months of not hearing back from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, but with Martin Law at your side the process can be a little better. 

At Martin Law, our accredited Veterans’ Benefits attorney has handled numerous cases throughout the various appeals stages and can help you navigate them as well. Contact our law firm to set up a FREE initial consultation.

VA APPEALS OPTIONS

When appealing a denied claim for service-connected compensation benefits you have a couple of different options, depending on where you believe the VA erred in their decision process. All of these options do have one thing in common though, and that is that you have one year from the date of your decision to appeal.

1.  Supplemental Claim. Filing a supplemental claim requires you to submit new and relevant evidence at the time of your appeal. The purpose of this appeal is to provide the VA with something that they didn’t have when they issued their initial decision; this can be a doctor’s note, buddy statement, or any relevant piece of evidence. 
2. Higher-Level Review. Requesting a higher-level review does not allow for new/additional evidence and is solely a review of the evidence present at the time the VA made its initial determination. If the VA simply made an error in your case, this would be the route to choose. 
3. Board of Veterans’ Appeals. You can appeal directly to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) or denials of the other two options can be appealed to the BVA.  There are three choices you can make as to how you’d like to proceed in front of the BVA. You may choose “Direct Review” which involves a review of your file with no additional evidence submitted; “Evidence Submission” which allows you to submit new evidence within 90 days of the date you file your appeal; and “Hearing with Veterans Law Judge” which allows for a hearing and the submission of evidence.

NO FEES UNLESS WE WIN

We offer a FREE consultation, and there is no cost up front for us to manage your case, prepare your appeal and accompany you at your disability hearing. We don’t get paid unless we appeal your denied claim and win your case.

HELPING CLIENTS IN PENNSYLVANIA APPEAL DENIED CLAIMS ATTORNEYS WITH EXPERIENCE

We are dedicated to helping clients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey appeal their denied claims or increase their disability rating. Lawyers at our firm can assist you at any point in the appeal process. Call 215.587.8400 or e-mail us today. We are based in Philadelphia and handle Veterans’ benefits cases nationwide.