7 Ways To Strengthen Disability Claims For Veterans

Most veterans file their disability claims with whatever documentation they have on hand, then hope for the best. That approach works sometimes, but there are specific ways to beef up your claim that can mean the difference between a denial and approval, or between a 30% rating and a 70% rating. Here are the ways you can do this. 

The Veterans Affairs (VA) loves official documentation, but witness statements from people who served with you can plug holes in your military service records. Maybe your injury wasn't serious enough to warrant a full medical report back then, or you toughed it out without seeking treatment. Buddy statements fill those gaps. 

These don't need to be formal. A fellow veteran who remembers you limping after that training accident or struggling with anxiety after deployment can write a simple statement describing what they witnessed.  

The more specific they are about dates, locations, and what they saw, the better. If you stayed in touch with anyone from your unit, reach out. Their firsthand accounts of in-service injuries or the onset of symptoms add credibility that the VA has to consider. 

Sometimes, the weakest link in a disability claim is the lack of proof that the condition connects to your military service. That's where nexus letters come in. A private physician reviews your medical records and service history, then writes a detailed opinion explaining how your current disability relates to your time in uniform.

These letters carry weight because they come from independent medical professionals. The doctor might explain how exposure to burn pits or toxic substances during deployment likely caused your respiratory issues, or how your chronic back pain stems from years of humping heavy gear.  

The VA examiner who spends twenty minutes with you during a Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam isn't going to provide that level of analysis. For complicated cases involving secondary conditions or delayed-onset symptoms, a nexus letter often makes the difference. 

Some claims are simple: you injured your knee while on active duty, you have X-rays with damage, done. Others are with several service-connected disabilities, secondary conditions, or medical issues that arose years down the road. That's when it is important to have someone familiar with the system.  

While Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) offer assistance for general claims, experts who specialize in veteran disability claims bring another type of experience to complex cases. They’re aware of what medical evidence the VA requires for certain medical conditions, how to argue for greater disability ratings, and what documentation supports claims likely to come under attack.  

For mental health claims, such as traumatic brain injury or physical conditions with multiple secondary ones, this type of specialized support usually leads to improved results. Also, benefit advisors with insight into the nuances of more difficult situations. 

Your disability rating depends partly on the severity and the frequency of your symptoms. A log of your bad days, levels of pain, and how this condition impacts employment or activities of daily living gives the VA concrete evidence of what you're going through. That comes in handy for those with conditions that have an unpredictable pattern.  

If you have service-connected PTSD causing insomnia three nights a week, write it down. If your back pain puts you in the position of having to call in sick every month, write it down. If your hearing loss causes difficulty with conversations in any setting with background noise, write down specific details.  

The VA looks at frequency, severity, and duration in rating. Without a record of your bad days, they will only consider how you were during one examination. If you have assisted care, your caregiver can journal medical records for you. This journal paints the big picture over time, and that trend can be used to justify a higher rating or prove your condition is worsening since your last evaluation. 

Your service treatment records might not tell the whole story. Performance evaluations, awards, duty assignments, and incident reports can all support your claim in ways you haven't considered. A Combat Action Ribbon shows you were in situations that could explain PTSD. Duty station records prove you were at locations with known environmental hazards. 

Getting your complete personnel file through the National Personnel Records Center takes time, but it's worth it. Veterans often discover documentation they didn't know existed. It includes records of incidents that caused injuries, or proof that you worked around hazardous materials. This information strengthens the service connection piece of your claim, especially when your medical records are incomplete. 

A lot of veterans leave compensation on the table by not claiming secondary conditions. These are disabilities caused by service-connected conditions you already have. Sleep apnea linked to PTSD. Knee problems from favoring a leg with a service-connected ankle injury. Depression stemming from chronic pain. 

Each secondary condition can increase your overall disability rating, which affects your monthly compensation. The VA evaluates them separately, so even if your primary condition is rated at 30%, adding secondary conditions might push your combined rating to 50% or higher. 

You need medical evidence showing the connection between your service-connected disability and the secondary condition. A doctor's statement explaining how one led to the other usually does it. Many veterans don't realize their newer health problems connect to old service-connected injuries until someone points it out. 

The VA takes months, sometimes over a year, to process claims. During that time, your condition might worsen or new symptoms might develop. You can submit additional medical evidence anytime before the VA makes their decision, and you should. 

New diagnostic tests, updated treatment records, or evaluations from specialists all strengthen your claim if they show your condition is worse than initially documented. If you have a C&P exam scheduled but recently got an MRI showing additional damage, get that MRI report to the VA before your exam. The examiner will have better information to work with. 

Strengthening your disability claim means building the strongest possible case before the VA makes their decision. Most veterans who get higher disability ratings or win their appeals do so because they kept pushing, kept documenting, and kept adding evidence. The VA claims process doesn't reward people who submit the bare minimum. So, the difference in your VA disability compensation must be substantial, and you’ll earn every bit of it.