Under the legacy appeals process, whenever a veteran received a Statement of the Case (SOC) that he or she wanted to appeal, he or she would use a VA Form 9. On this form, the veteran would lay out his or her arguments relating to errors of fact or law made by the agency of original jurisdiction in making the decision, and once complete would submit the form to the VA as a substantive appeal.
The deadline for filing a VA Form 9 in response to an SOC is 60 days from the date the SOC was issued, so the veteran must submit any appeals he or she wishes to file in that time frame or his or her claim will lapse. The next section of this article is only relevant to veterans who still have active claims in the legacy system.
How To Fill Out VA Form 9
Boxes 1-7
All of the information contained in this section is personal, making it the most straightforward to complete. Here, you will provide the veteran’s name (whose claim is it), the claim file number, insurance file number, your status as author of the form, telephone numbers (home and work, if applicable), address, and your name if you are the author of the form but not the veteran whose claim is being appealed.
Boxes 8-9
In box eight, you will write out the issues you want to appeal from the SOC you received. If you wish to only appeal certain issues from the SOC, check the selection at the top of the box and then list the issues in the grey space below. If you want to appeal all of the issues listed on the SOC, check the selection at the bottom of the box.
In box nine, you will write out your arguments for why the VA decided your case incorrectly. If you run out of space, you can continue on the back, or attach sheets of paper to the form. In this section, you will want to make arguments based on error of fact or law.
Boxes 10-14
In box 10, you can indicate whether you would like to request a hearing before the Board. There are several options available for this, including live video conference, in person at the Washington D.C. office, or in person at your local VA office. You can also choose to not have a hearing. Waiting for a Board hearing date can take a long time and prolong your claim decision.
Boxes 11 through 14 are for signatures of the claimant and the claimants representative (if applicable).
Help With Your Legacy Appeals Claim
If you are a veteran looking for assistance with your VA claim, please contact our office today. Our veterans disability lawyers are experienced in navigating the complex VA disability claims system and can help you get the compensation you deserve.
