Veterans Service Connected Benefits Lawyer
Many men and women from the service fail to get proper service connected benefits upon application. If your claim for VA benefits has been denied, do not give up. File your notice of disagreement with your VARO. An experienced attorney can then help you make sure your injuries and illnesses are verified, documented and hopefully rated reasonably. At the Ardmore law offices of Polly Murphy, PC, we can help you after you file your notice of disagreement with VARO, after June 20, 2007.
Fighting for the Underdog, Contact Polly Murphy
After your denial, the first step in the appeals process is to file a notice of disagreement and intent to appeal. All you have to do is write your VARO and state you disagree with the decision and want to appeal your denial. It is important that you also keep a copy for your own records. If you can, send your NOD by certified, return receipt to your VARO.
Many veterans who have been treated at a VA medical facility assume the VA has all their VA medical records, but this may not be true. As a result, many cases do not include sufficient medical information when considered for service connected benefits. We have the knowledge to obtain your medical records and submit them to VARO for consideration
Disability Rating
After you apply for service connected benefits, you will receive a rating decision from VARO. If decision grants service connection your rating will be attached. You will be awarded a certain percentage for each impairment which has been service connected. The disability rating is complicated because VARO "combines" your ratings using a combined rating schedule. For example, if you receive ratings of 50 percent, 40 percent, 10 percent, this is not a hundred percent rating. Numerical ratings are not added together.
This is important to consider, because increasing your disability rating to 100 percent will greatly increase amount of benefits you receive. When thinking about your disability rating, think in terms of whether your injuries prevent you from holding steady employment. If so, document such for the VARO.
It can take several months before you get your first rating. Once you receive notice of denial or a partially favorable rating with which you disagree, you have up to one year to appeal the decision. However, the VA may archive your file if you do not appeal within 60 days, so get your appeal in if possible within 60 days.
- Disability ratings can be reviewed by the DRO (decision rating officer). If you are appealing your disability rating, you should check box for review by DRO.
- If the DRO agrees with your rating, decision can then be appealed to the Board of Veterans Appeals in Washington, D.C.
Contact Us
Located in Ardmore, Oklahoma, we help disabled veterans throughout Oklahoma. Contact us by completing the questionnaire on this site to see if we can help.
