Did You Receive an Unfavorable Decision From the VA?
At The Rep for Vets™, we want disabled veterans to know that a negative decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs is not the end of the story. You have the right to appeal your disability rating. You were injured while fighting for us; now let us fight for you.
The Appeals Process
Our disability specialists have years of experience with the entire benefit application process, from initial application through final appeal. If your application is denied, here are the steps to follow:
- File a Notice of Disagreement with the regional VA office and request a review of your case.
- The VA will respond with a list of the reasons for its decision, called the Statement of the Case, and will ask if you want it to reconsider.
- Request a hearing and reconsideration with a hearing officer after the VA responds to the notice.
- If you still disagree with the decision, you can file an appeal with an administrative law judge before the Board of Veteran Appeals. At this level, there is a significant delay in obtaining a decision, from many months to several years.
- If the decision is still negative, you can request judicial review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims.
- The final appeal is to the Court of Appeals in the federal circuit where the initial claim was filed.
Our advocates do not back down, and will take a case as far as necessary to obtain the benefits you need and deserve. We ensure that your appeal is filed in a timely way, as you have only one year to appeal a rating by the regional VA office. Once the deadline passes, it becomes very difficult to move the case forward.
Other deadlines to keep in mind: You have 60 days from the date of the Statement of the Case to indicate your intention to appeal further. Once you receive notification that the VA has sent your case to the Board of Veterans Appeals, you have 90 days to submit additional information to support your case. If that decision is negative, you have 120 days to appeal to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
We make sure you meet the deadlines and help gather additional evidence in support of your appeal. We advise you about your options at each step and keep you informed about the status of your case. Having knowledgeable guidance throughout a long process can reduce the stress and anxiety of waiting. We will be there for you.
Learn More About the Department of Veterans Affairs Appeals Process
If your initial application for VA disability benefits was denied, don't give up. Call The Rep for Vets™ at 888-573-7838 from anywhere in the United States for a free initial consultation with one of our veterans appeals process advocates, or simply contact us online. We have headquarters in Tampa, Florida, and serve clients throughout the United States from our seven regional offices in New York, California and Texas.
