VA Disability

For many veterans, a Compensation & Pension exam can be one of the most stressful parts of the VA disability claims process. Receiving a denial based largely on that examiner’s opinion can be frustrating. That’s why it is important to understand the reasoning behind the opinion and whether the evidence relied upon actually supports the…

Medical research can be powerful evidence in a VA disability claim. In fact, VA regulations recognize that medical treatises, scientific articles, research reports, and other authoritative medical writings may constitute competent medical evidence that can help you prove your claim. Studies may show a relationship between an exposure and a disease, explain how a condition…

Medical records matter in a VA disability claim, but they are not the only evidence. Veterans, family members, friends, and fellow servicemembers may provide lay evidence about symptoms, events, and changes they personally observed. Buchanan v. Nicholson, 451 F.3d 1331 (Fed. Cir. 2006), and Davidson v. Shinseki, 581 F.3d 1313, 1316 (Fed. Cir. 2009) explain…

Veterans who have multiple disabling medical conditions may qualify for higher VA disability ratings. Some veterans may have a “secondary” condition. Veterans with secondary conditions may have the ability to seek higher disability ratings due to how those conditions affect their overall health.  What Are Secondary Service-Connected Conditions? A secondary condition is a health issue…

Obtaining disability benefits from the VA will require you to present sufficient evidence to prove you have a qualifying service-connected disability. In particular, veterans must demonstrate that their medical condition is related to their military service. Most veterans establish a service connection for their medical condition through a nexus letter. A nexus letter can serve…

When you file a claim for VA disability benefits, you may need to provide various information and evidence to prove your eligibility. Furthermore, the VA may ask you to attend a compensation and pension exam as part of the benefits application process. Knowing what to expect during a C&P exam and what you should do…

When veterans get approved to receive VA disability compensation, they are assigned a rating based on the severity of their disability. These ratings are expressed as a percentage that can range from 0 to 100%, with 100% being the most severe. Often, veterans feel like their VA disability rating doesn’t fully reflect the severity of…

To establish a claim for service-connected compensation, you must provide evidence supporting three elements. (1) evidence of a current disability, (2) evidence of an event-in-service that caused injury or aggravation of a disease or injury, and (3) medical evidence of a nexus between the in-service disease or injury and the current disability. Evidence of a…

Veterans of the Gulf War and our recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan face a unique range of medical issues that are unlike conditions seen by other generations of Veterans. There are special rules in place to reduce the burden on these Veterans who suffer from certain conditions. These rules are often misapplied, and it…

If you become incapacitated because of a service-connected condition, you may be eligible for a temporary 100 percent rating during your period of incapacitation. This is true even if your typical combined rating is less than 100 percent. Temporary total ratings are only available to Veterans that do not receive a monthly payment at the…