Fireworks and Combat Veterans

This post is just a reminder to everyone who plans to set off their own fireworks this weekend to celebrate the holiday.  Please be aware of any combat veterans in your area.  Many combat veterans who suffer from PTSD are extremely sensitive to fireworks so please keep this in mind.  I represent veterans in VA disability claims and veterans with PTSD often say fireworks causes a great deal of anxiety for them.  Veterans risked it all to protect our freedom so please be responsible this weekend.  Happy 4th of July to all.

How Long Does VA Disability Claim Take?

How long a VA disability claim takes is a very difficult question to answer.  I have been handling VA compensation claims since 2007 and what I can tell you is it depends on so many things that it is almost impossible to answer for any given case.  For some, it may be a matter of months and others it may be years until you are satisfied with the result.  If all the records are in the VA C-file, it is a clear cut case, and you are dealing with one of the better VA Regional Offices than it may only take months.  In other cases, difficulty finding evidence needed, the need for nexus opinions and a slower VA RO may cause the VA disability claim to take over a year.  Keep in mind if you get a decision from the VA and you are unhappy with that decision it can take longer and longer with each appeal.  Some VA disability cases can take many years before you get what you deserve.  As you can see answering this question is very hard.  So what can you do to speed up your VA compensation claim.  The first thing you can do is request your C-file from the VA so you know what the VA has and you will be able to determine what may be missing or what evidence you still need to win you claim.  You should also get help with your claim from a service organization or a VA disability lawyer.  This will help because a good attorney or representative will know the law and what is needed to win your claim and then be able to make arguments on your behalf as well.  At the very least, you need to research what it is you need for your particular claim to win your VA disability case.  The last thing you would ever want to do is to make your claim and sit back and hope the VA will figure it out for you.  It is also important to keep in mind that when you have a VA compensation claim you need to be persistent but also patient.  It can become very easy to get frustrated and quit or take out your frustration on the VA and neither of these is going to help you win you VA disability claim.

Medical Treatment and Disability Claims

So why is it important to have a good history of medical treatment and recent treatment.  Whether it is an SSDI claim or VA compensation it is important to be able to show past and present treatment.  One reason is that many decision makers on disability claims wrongly will assume that someone who is not being treated regularly does not suffer from a severe medical condition because if they did they would be getting treatment.  Also the basis for any disability claim is your medical conditions and if they are not documented well it makes it difficult or impossible to determine the severity of the medical condition.  I should also point out that if you are seeing a doctor regularly and for a long period of time chances are that doctor will be more willing to provide you with opinion evidence that is often needed in SSDI and VA disability cases.  I know it can sometimes be difficult and many people do not have insurance but you should make every effort to get regular medical treatment.