veterans disability

October 11, 2021

How a Buddy Letter Can Help Your VA Claim

The VA is required to consider all relevant information that supports your VA disability claim. This includes eyewitness accounts of the cause of your disability and/or its effects on you. The Statement in Support of Claim, also referred to as a “buddy letter” or “lay evidence,” can provide powerful evidence supporting your case.

These personal statements can come from someone who served with you and witnessed the event, or from family and friends who are able to describe how the event has affected you.

Military buddy statements are particularly powerful if the person is able to give an eyewitness account of the events, conditions, or situation that caused your disability. Often, things happen while on duty that aren’t written up in a report but may have had a significant impact on you. Other times, records get lost or destroyed. If you have a friend or fellow service member who was there and can corroborate your statement, the VA is required to apply “benefit of the doubt” when your claim has limited medical support. Without a buddy statement, it would be less likely this benefit of the doubt would be applied or it would possibly be applied and a lower rating given.

August 17, 2021

Hiring a Lawyer for Your VA Claim

by Bob Goss

The Veterans Administration (VA) allows veterans to hire an attorney to help them with their disability claims only after an initial claim has been denied, or after the VA has offered a benefits award that the veteran does not believe is sufficient. So whether you have been denied or you have received an award that you feel is too low, you are permitted to reach out to a lawyer for help.

Why Should You Hire an Attorney to Help You With Your Disability Appeal?

If you are already fully versed in legal affairs, as I was when I appealed my own disability award, you may not need help from a lawyer. However, even for me, the process was long, grueling, and stressful. The good news is that retaining an experienced VA lawyer not only saves you that stress, but also improves your chance of success.

August 11, 2021

Cancer and VA Benefits

by Bob Goss

Cancer can strike at any time, but it usually does not become active for years after the cause. Many veterans do not automatically make the connection between their time of service and their cancer diagnosis. But there are many exposures during military service that are presumed to cause cancer and others that can be proven to be either a direct cause or a secondary cause of cancer. If your service to our country caused cancer, you deserve compensation while you fight to defeat this enemy.

Proving Service Connection for Cancer

As with all disability claims, you must be able to demonstrate that you are a veteran of the U.S. military, that you have an honorable discharge, and that there is a connection to military service: a direct connection, an aggravation of an existing condition, a secondary connection, or a presumptive connection.

June 27, 2021

Getting a 100% Disability Rating with the VA and Additional Benefits

by Bob Goss

The 100% disability rating is the highest level of disability the VA offers, providing monthly payments along with full medical care for service-related conditions. Other benefits and compensation are also available. This rating can be reached in a number of ways.

Severe conditions

If you have an extremely severe service-connected condition that makes you unable to work and, in some cases, unable to provide yourself with personal care without help, this condition may be rated as 100% disabled.