Should I hire an attorney to help me appeal my Veteran's Affairs Benefits Decision?

You may be wondering why you would hire and pay for an attorney when there are free Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) available to you. This is a fantastic question and one worth considerable attention. An attorney may not be right for every situation, but they can be helpful for certain people. See the list below to see if you might benefit from hiring an attorney and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you’re unsure or if you have any other questions— our free case evaluation will help us in determining if it makes sense for us to represent you. Please also see our blog about: What happens when I contact Maurice L. Abarr - Lawyer, Inc. to see if he can assist me with appealing my Veterans Affairs Benefits Decision?

1. Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) try hard to help Veterans and their hearts are unquestionably in the right place.  But, from my perspective, mistakes are frequently made because the claim has not been analyzed and thought through thoroughly before making a decision on whether to appeal or just re-file.  It depends on what the Veteran's priorities are and what evidence may still be needed.

2. An attorney should be consulted when the Veteran receives a Decision that he or she feels is not based on their actual, true level of impairment and disability.  Sometimes this is when the claim has been denied completely. Other times, it is when the percentage of disability granted is less than what the Veteran sees, feels, or senses is less than their true level of disability.  After all, the Veteran knows as much as anyone just how much the disability from their injury limits them in performing Activities of Daily Living (including work).

3.When the Veteran is being told by the VA or a Veteran Service Organization representative that they should not appeal their case, they absolutely should get a second opinion from an Accredited Attorney or Representative before following that advice.