For anyone injured physically or mentally while in the service of the United States, disability benefits from the VA are available. To avail of these benefits, the veteran, his or her dependents, or survivors must submit a plausible claim.
A monthly financial benefit is available for those dealing with a service-related disability. The cash benefit is for injury, illness, or aggravation of a pre-existing condition due to service in the armed forces. There are numerous other benefits available; housing and vehicle allowances and clothing allowance are granted to those with severe disabilities.
Claim process:
An initial claim is made with the regional office of the VA that is closest to the applicant; this must be done in writing. Once the application has been submitted, the local or regional office will decide to either approve the claim or deny benefits.
What happens if the claim is denied?
It is not unusual for a perfectly valid claim to be denied; even the VA admits that they make far too many errors while assessing applications. If your claim is not accepted, hire a veterans benefits lawyer in Pennsylvania to help you with your appeal. To start the process, all you have to do is to advise the VA by submitting your NOD, Notice of Disagreement. When your local office gets the notice, they will prepare a statement that tells you their reasoning. The regional office will also make you aware of the statutes and regulations they relied on when making their decision. The form that is necessary to perfect an appeal will be included in the response letter.
The appeals process can be very misleading to anyone that is not familiar with the VA and its ways. A veteran that was denied benefits should consult with a veterans benefits lawyer in Pennsylvania.
Many claims for veterans disability benefits are denied. If yours is one of them, you should consider hiring a veterans benefits lawyer in Pennsylvania to help with your appeal. For a free evaluation of your claim contact Jackson & MacNichol, Attorneys at Law.
