Veterans
VA disability ratings
VA compensation turns on a number: the rating. A rating that's too low can cost you every month, so I look at how it was reached and what could change it.
VA pays disability compensation for conditions connected to your service, and rates each one from 0 to 100 percent. The ratings are then combined, not added, so two conditions at 50 and 30 percent come to 70.
I help veterans claim conditions that were never rated, ask for an increase when a condition has worsened, and claim conditions that grew out of an already rated one. I'm accredited to represent veterans before the VA, and the fee rules for VA claims are different from Social Security's, which I explain in writing before you sign.
What a rating can turn on
Whether the condition is tied to your service, in your records or a doctor's opinion
How the condition is measured against the VA's own rating schedule
Whether one condition caused or worsened another
The dates that decide when payment starts
Where I can help
A claim that was never filed
We gather service records, treatment records and a medical opinion, then file one clear claim.
A rating that seems low
I compare what the examiner wrote with what the schedule asks, and with what you live with.
A condition that got worse
An increase needs fresh evidence of how things are now, and I help you pull it together.
Secondary conditions
Sometimes one condition causes another, like a knee injury leading to a back problem. Each can be claimed.
Asked often at this desk
Do I need to be rated before I call?
No. Plenty of people call before they've filed anything, and some call after a rating they don't understand.
Can I get VA compensation and Social Security disability?
Often yes. They are separate programs with separate tests, and receiving one doesn't decide the other. I'll explain how they interact for you.
Will you charge me to help file a claim?
VA rules limit when a lawyer can charge for help with a claim, and they differ from Social Security's. I explain exactly what applies to yours in writing before you sign.
Tell me what your rating says
Send a few lines about the rating you have and the one you think you should, and I'll read your decision letter with you.