The Board of Veterans Appeals have compiled data which indicates that veterans who were originally denied disability benefits have a far better chance of having the ruling overturned if they are assisted by a knowledgeable veterans benefits attorney in Texas. Those that undertook the appeal on their own had close to 40 percent of their appeals denied, those that were represented were denied less than 20 percent of the time.
Some cases are better served with legal assistance than others, those that are considering hiring an attorney may wish to consider the following:
Attorneys know the law:
The laws and regulations that the Department of Veterans Affairs work with are very complex; the department even admits that they make far more errors than they should simply because the laws are so difficult to understand and apply. The admitted error rate is 14 percent but an independent monitoring group has found that the error rate is much closer to 38 percent.
Bearing in mind these numbers, don’t be disappointed if your claim is denied, you should hire an experienced attorney that knows and understands the regulations and laws to assist in mounting a winning appeal. To maintain their accreditations with the DVA, attorneys that represent veterans must stay current with the laws as they change.
Build a strong case:
A seasoned veterans benefits attorney in Texas has helped many disabled veterans before you; the attorney knows from experience how to build a case, ensuring that any and all evidence that will support your appeal is provided. Many first time applicants do not know or understand what evidence is required, as a result their initial application is incomplete. An attorney can help you prove that your disability is directly related to your years in the service.
An attorney cannot expedite a case, what he or she can do is gather what is needed to support your claim quickly and get the appeals processed started without undue delay. A veterans benefits attorney in Texas can also respond quicker to any requests from the VA if and when they are made. Knocking a little bit of time off each step in the process can compress the time for approval of your claim considerably.
If you are a disabled veteran you have every right to claim disability benefits. If your claim is among the thousands that are denied you can improve your chances of approval on appeal by hiring a veterans benefits attorney in Texas. For a free consultation you are invited to contact Jackson & MacNichol, Attorneys at Law.
