For veterans seeking to gain service connection for their disability with the VA disability compensation system, many will need to undergo a Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam. The VA uses these exams to evaluate the veteran’s impairment to determine (1) if the veteran’s condition is service connected and (2) the severity...

Every legal system has its own standard of proof. For criminal law, the standard is “beyond a reasonable doubt,” and in civil lawsuits, the standard may be “clear and convincing evidence” or “the preponderance of evidence.” Each of these standards is more severe than the one used by the VA when it...

Veterans who are unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation due to their service connected conditions are eligible to receive a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) rating. The inability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation (SGO), as defined under 38 CFR 4.16(b), depends on economic and...

Why Submit An Intent To File?

When a veteran has decided to pursue a claim within the VA disability system, but does not yet have enough evidence to yield a favorable result for their claim, they can file an intent to file via VA Form...

What Is The Appeals Modernization Act (AMA)?

Signed into law on August 23, 2017 and effective on February 19th, 2019, the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) put into place a new system for modernized appeals within the VA disability claims system. The biggest changes this program made to the...

The word “migraines” can encompass many different types of headache conditions within the VA schedular disability rating system. This is because under 38 CFR 4.124a, all headache conditions are rated under the same scale used for migraine headaches: 

Diagnostic Code 8100: Migraine

50 -...

Upon the implementation of the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) on February 19, 2019, the legacy appeals system was discontinued and any claims decided on or after that day have to be appealed through the AMA system. Under the pilot initiative called the Rapid Appeals Modernization Program (RAMP), some veterans with legacy appeals...

VA Form 21-526ez: Application For Disability Compensation And Related Compensation Benefits

Any veterans interested in receiving VA disability benefits first need to complete a VA Form 21-526ez to begin their claim. On this form, veterans will provide information regarding their service, what disability they are claiming service...

When a veterans disability claim goes to the Board of Veterans Appeals (i.e. Board, BVA), the Board can approve, deny, or remand the claim. When the Board remands a claim, it is often but not always sent back to the same VA Regional Office (RO) that initially evaluated the claim...

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a complex condition that can present with different symptoms in different individuals. Some of the most common symptoms associated with PTSD are: 

HypervigilanceIntrusive memoriesAvoidance of places or peopleDifficulty maintaining relationshipsDifficulty controlling angerTrouble sleeping

There are many more symptoms associated...