Understanding VA Injury Claim Denials
Getting a claim through the Veterans Affairs (VA) system is no small task. In order to make it through strict fraud protection and get the compensation you deserve, you'll need paperwork to support any injury, pain, mental anguish, or other conditions being claimed. Even if it seems obvious to you or those around you, if your paperwork isn't accurate for the VA system, the claim will likely be denied. If the denial reasons are confusing or you don't know what to do next, keep a few concepts of the VA claim system in mind as you work towards an appeal.
Denials Can Be Caused by Paperwork
The VA claims filing process isn't difficult to begin, but many "denials" are caused by incomplete or incorrect information. As long as you are a verified military veteran (or other protected government worker under the VA system), the VA will accept your paperwork and respond properly. If you didn't attach a medical record or if you lack proper identification or other information, you'll either receive a request for info or a denial.
A denial is not the end of your VA claim. You can appeal as much as you want, but you need to keep in mind that getting a claim response can take a lot of time—especially with wait times continuing to be a problem in the VA system. Filing an incomplete claim mostly harms you, because filing an appeal may put you at the back of the line for claims.
If you've filed more than one appeal and still can't seem to make any progress, get the assistance of a personal injury lawyer. Disability law is difficult, and it may take the research and investigation skills of a lawyer to get the evidence your claim needs. If your injury or condition is difficult to pinpoint, a lawyer can use their experienced, robust network of medical professionals to help you. Consider a firm like Prediletto, Halpin, Scharnikow & Nelson, P.S.
Look at the Decision Letter Carefully
After filing a claim, the VA will send correspondence in the form of decision letters and requests for additional information. Many VA offices use the decision letter format for all correspondence, which may look like a finite decision to many veterans.
There are four major decision letter categories to look out for in the mail:
- Request for info. Your claim is being considered, but needs more information. This means that the VA claims officials are investigating your situation, but need additional input from you. In some cases, missing information can result in a request for info or a denial depending on the claims office situation.
- Continuing progress. As wait times continue to put veterans in a difficult, confusing position with no communication, the VA periodically sends a letter to let you know that your claim is being worked on. If you haven't received a letter in a few months, call to make sure that your information wasn't lost.
- Approval. Your claim has been approved! Don't celebrate too early, as the rate of disability may be lower than expected. If you're filing for multiple disability conditions, make sure that all of the conditions have been approved. You can file an appeal for increasing rates or appeal specific condition decisions without forfeiting your approved compensation.
- Denial. The VA claims system is not convinced that your claim deserves compensation. The exact reason for the decision should be listed at the bottom of your decision letter, but you can speak to claims officials as you file an appeal to understand exactly why.
The denial decision letter can be confusing, as every deciding official handles it differently. Contact a personal injury lawyer to get insight into the decision and to design a claim that may be more likely to succeed.
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