Tormented By VA Denials And Requests? Know Your Requirements For Less Pressure

An unsuccessful Veterans Affairs (VA) claim is caused by one of two problems: an incomplete claim or mistakes at the claim office. Both problems are likely, as detailed requirements for the veteran with no claim experience and a large backlog of claims can lead to a lot of frustrated mistakes and lost information. If your original claim was denied and every attempt to salvage your chances at disability becomes blocked by demands for different, more, or better information, take a look at a few claim system requirements that could earn an approval faster.

Is Your Service-Connection Clearly Detailed?

Disability from the VA is about more than just having visible injury or observable pain. You'll need documentation showing that your injury, mental state or any condition was caused or made worse by military service. The documentation will establish your service-connection, or how your condition is connected to the military by pointing out when the condition could have been triggered.

Injuries are easier to prove, but not without some difficulty. If you were injured in the military by anything--combat, workplace injury, getting into a fight off duty, injuring yourself on leave, or in a foreign port--you'll hopefully have documentation showing that the event happened. It doesn't matter what you were doing in the military, just as long as you were in the military and obtained documentation.

If you didn't go to medical for some reason, or if your medical record was lost (as not all branches and military bases utilize electronic record-keeping as of yet), you'll have a harder time proving your case. Hopefully, you're reading this article as you're getting out of the military or not too many years after leaving the military.

There's no date limit to filing a claim, but the sooner you complain, the better. It's understandable that a month or two will go by as you figure out how to file your disability claim, but if you wait for years, it's easier for the VA to consider that your condition was caused by civilian service. Civilian injuries are not service-connected and won't be eligible. 

Psychological Issues In VA Claims

Mental conditions have a rocky history when it comes to military claims. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), for example, was not always taken seriously by the entire VA claim system. The treatment of psychological suffering has gotten a bit better, but the initial problem still exists: how can you prove something that can't be physically observed?

Legitimate sufferers of psychological conditions must undergo unique fact-finding efforts in order to prove their problem, simply because it's easy for any veteran to fake certain conditions that are well-understood. There are many anecdotal examples for expert mental health professionals who can see through any story, and just as many reports of veterans who fake mental anguish to get monetary compensation for life. 

The truth is just that psychological conditions are difficult to prove, and you'll have to sit through analysis longer than physical conditions in some cases. Although this may seem like a bad thing, legitimate sufferers aren't being completely turned away at the door. As you're being examined, the VA provides the same mental health treatment as they get to the bottom of your condition and discover the level of your affliction. Sure, the money is better as soon as possible, but you'll get there.

If you've been working through the VA system for years with no real results, contact a personal injury lawyer like Bangel, Bangel, & Bangel. With their assistance and network of medical professionals, the evidence of your condition can be written thoroughly and submitted for greater success.

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