When a veteran is denied benefits from Veterans Affairs (VA) disability, quitting through rage, depression or a feeling of defeat is understandable. There isn't much information delivered in the denial letter, which can make it hard to figure out what went wrong and how to correct the problem. If you're unsure about what to do next, your first action should be to file an appeal whether it makes sense or not. Its easy, and a few other details about the claim system can help you tweak the appeal towards success. 

Why Would A Real Condition Be Denied?

Disability compensation from the VA is designed to help veterans with service-connected conditions. A service-connected condition is any condition (injury, disease, complex, mental condition, etc) that was caused during military service or was made worse because of military service.

Although the intricate details of claim success can get complicated, the core idea is simple: your condition must be service-connected, and you have to be currently suffering from the problem. If the condition had nothing to do with the military, the VA won't provide monetary compensation. If it's not currently a problem, you can't receive higher priority benefits for the condition yet.

Your job as a veteran in the claim system is to prove the service-connection and currently suffering points. This means that you'll need evidence showing that your problem absolutely happened while you were in the military, or at least a convincing stack of evidence showing that it could happen. It can be confusing without a professional at your side.

The chaos of conflict means that many veterans may not have had a medical administrator to write every detail of how a combat, work center or duty injury took place. Even more abstractly, simply being in the military means that you could have a lot of minor aches and pains that can make civilian life difficult. Disability is by percentage, which means that the most extreme issues are compensated more and minor issues are compensated less. No conditions are to be ignored.

A denied claim means that your evidence either didn't exist or that it wasn't good enough for the VA. Many veterans omit evidence, so make sure that you have as much paperwork about the condition as possible. If you have details about your condition before and after the military, you may need an attorney for your appeal.

Denied With Proof? Hire A Professional

Sometimes, the VA may not agree with your evidence. For example, the VA may see that you've broken your leg in the past, but current medical review shows that your leg is fine. A denied for pain or a limp may or may not be denied depending on the opinion of the VA claims panel.

Such issues can get complicated when it comes to joint/muscle problems, mental conditions or issues that you didn't complain about while you were in the military. It's true that military service can lead to chronic pain and mobility issues, but there needs to be medically observed and documented proof.

Mental conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are a real part of any traumatic situation, and the military has no shortage of traumatic situations. Still, the path to proving an issue is difficult, and the most success may come from having a document of a specific event that could have caused a problem.

Contact a personal injury attorney when success means proving theory with contested evidence. With knowledge of other successful appeals and a medical team at their side, your appeal has a better chance.