What is a vocational expert and do I need one?

A vocational expert gives an opinion as to the employability of a Veteran, and this type of expert is helpful for the purposes of a Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) claim. ...

What is Radiculopathy?

Have you seen the word “radiculopathy” in your rating decision and ever wonder what it means? You see it written a lot with disabilities like Lumbosacral strain with radiculopathy or even Right lower ...

HOW TO GET TREATING PHYSICIANS TO WRITE OPINION LETTERS

Favorable medical evidence is the lifeblood of any VA disability claim because, in most cases, the success of a VA claim turns upon favorable medical evidence. Under its duty to assist, the VA is ...

Claim Sharks

Whenever you went to the beach, sometimes there would be signs saying “Don’t go into the water! Beware of Sharks!” Good to know before getting into the ocean. Sometimes, we wish there was a sign for ...

Is my rating decision permanent?

The rules for determining whether a disability is permanent differ depending on if the disability is service connected or not. This blog discusses only service-connected disabilities for which ...

How to get your military records

Well, how do I get them? This is the question Veterans say to me every time I tell them to check their service record or medical records for evidence to support their claim. That is when I realized ...

PTSD Guide - Part 5

Our PTSD Guide will explain what PTSD is (Part 1), what is needed to get PTSD service-connected (Part 2), what to expect from a Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam for PTSD (Part 3), how PTSD ...

PTSD Guide - Part 4

PTSD Guide - Part 3

Our PTSD Guide will explain what PTSD is (Part 1), what is needed to get PTSD service-connected (Part 2), what to expect from a Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam for PTSD (Part 3), how PTSD ...

Presumption of Soundness & of Aggravation