Top 3 Mistakes Veterans Make When Filing VA Disability Claims (And How to Avoid Each One!)
Filing a VA claim can be a confusing and frustrating experience.
You can do everything right and still have your claim denied due to an error or oversight.
The truth is, many VA claims adjudicators are new, inexperienced, and undertrained.
You’re also up against a broken VA disability system and the bureaucracy of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
In my experience helping more than 25,000 disabled veterans win, service-connect, and increase their VA rating faster, I’ve seen firsthand the biggest mistakes veterans tend to make.
In this article, I’ll break down these top 3 pitfalls, explain why they’re problematic, and show you how to avoid them.
Let’s jump in!
Here’s the required elements for all VA disability compensation claims, assuming a veteran is eligible for benefits under the law.
We call it “The VA Claims Insider Golden Circle.”
- #1. Diagnosis of a current disability in a medical record. If yes, go to step #2. This must be in a medical record.
- #2. Evidence of an in-service event, injury, disease, or aggravation. If yes, go to step #3.
- #3. “Nexus” meaning link or connection between #1 and #2 above via competent medical evidence. If yes, go to step #4. A Nexus Letter from a private provider can really help you prove your nexus!
- #4. “Severity of symptoms” in terms of frequency (how often), severity (how bad), and duration (how long) as well as how these symptoms negatively impact your work, life, and social functioning. This is the final step in The Caluza Triangle and it’s what determines your final VA rating percentage.
Brian Reese’s “SEM Method Framework” for VA Claim Success
There’s a magic formula for VA disability claim success and it goes like this:
Strategy + Education + Medical Evidence = VA Rating You Deserve Faster!
This is what we teach at VA Claims Insider and by working with an expert, you have a very good chance of getting the VA rating and compensation you’ve earned (faster) for your service to our country.
Okay, let’s explore the top 3 mistakes veterans make throughout the VA claims process and how you can avoid them!
Mistake #1: Not Having a VA Disability Claim Strategy
If you don’t have a solid VA claim strategy, the tactics won’t matter — you’re setting yourself up for failure.
A personalized VA disability claim strategy, tailored to your unique situation, is mission-critical to securing the VA rating and compensation you deserve, faster and with fewer denials.
Here’s how to start developing your claim strategy:
#1. STRATEGY:
- 1–3 disability conditions per 1 claim only. Think Simple, Simple, Simple, and LESS is MORE! More is not more. The more disability conditions you file for the longer it will take for the VA rater to review and rate your claim. And the VA claims backlog is bad and getting even worse. There are over 1M pending claims and 250K claims in backlog right now! A very focused strategy helps you skip to the front of the line and get a more accurate VA rating decision, faster. You can always open a new claim later and add more conditions. Remember, the VA claim process is never over unless you quit!
- Fully Developed Claims (FDCs) only. Standard Claims take longer. You can file your own FDC online at VA.gov in a few simple steps. It’s like “turbo-tax” for VA claims. Make sure you upload digital copies of all your medical records before you submit your claim!
- High-Value VA Claims only! Remember, you’re fighting against the VA’s fuzzy math equation. If you’re trying to increase your VA rating, you want to focus your VA claim strategy on high value claims only. This will give you the best chance of getting a combined VA rating increase, which means more tax-free compensation and benefits for you and your family, for life!
- Focus on mental health claims, simple increase claims, and/or secondary claims only. This is where your personalized VA claim strategy is so important. I recommend you work with a VA claim expert to help lead you to VA claim victory!
Mistake #2: Not Being Educated About the VA Disability System
I’m constantly saddened by the number of veterans who know almost nothing about the VA disability compensation system.
Knowledge becomes power when it’s turned into action, and that’s my goal for you.
You don’t need to know everything, but mastering the basics and the most important parts of the VA disability claim system and process is essential.
Here’s what I recommend you learn before filing your VA claim:
#2. EDUCATION:
- C&P exam education is absolutely mission critical! Would you walk into an important job interview not knowing the questions you might get asked? Of course not! So why would you not prepare for your C&P exam when hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax-free compensation and benefits for you and your family are on the line? It’s the #1 most important day in the VA claim process and you need to be ready to CRUSH it. Know your true story cold. Be uncomfortably vulnerable and tell your truths!
- Know the VA Disability Cheat Sheet inside and out! You need to know the key elements to win your VA disability claim, including medical diagnosis, nexus for service connection, and severity of symptoms. Also, make sure you brush up on the 5 types of service connection.
- Get your VA Rating Code Sheet so you know what conditions are “static” and “permanent” and not subject to a VA rating reevaluation or reduction.
Mistake #3: Not Having the Right Medical Evidence for Your VA Claim
VA disability claims depend on medical evidence.
Medical evidence wins VA claims!
Either you have enough, or you don’t.
In my experience, most veterans lack the right medical evidence before filing their VA disability claims.
Here’s what I recommend as you consider the medical evidence you might need for your VA claim:
#3. MEDICAL EVIDENCE:
- The #1 reason why VA claims are denied is due to a lack of medical evidence! In my experience, most veterans simply don’t have enough. Want to know how you can get more? From your VA doctor, your private doctor, and from private medical experts who specialize in medical evidence to support a veteran’s VA disability claim.
- Mental health evaluation and IMO is preferred (if and only if you have a mental health condition). The average VA rating for mental health is 70%. It’s a high-value claim that many veterans qualify for.
- Medical evaluations from private providers to include First-Time Medical Diagnosis, Nexus Letters, and/or Disability Benefit Questionnaires (DBQs) for high value claims only! You don’t need a DBQ for every condition and I want to save you some money because DBQs from private providers aren’t free.
Fellow Veterans: Do You Deserve a VA Rating Increase?
Need expert-level VA disability claim help? Call us right now: (281) 533–6777!
Hi fellow veterans, I’m Brian Reese, the VA Claims Insider, and I’m here to help you INCREASE your VA rating FASTER — even if you’ve already filed, been denied, gave up, or don’t know where to start…
If you’re frustrated, underrated, or simply sick and tired of fighting the VA alone, I’ve got your six!
There’s always another path available to you, and I’m committed to helping you achieve VA claim victory.
My process starts with a one-on-one phone call so we can get to know your unique claim situation.
We’ll identify where you stand now, where you want to go, and how we make it happen with the right medical evidence.
If we nail your VA claim strategy, the tactics become simple and easy!
Through this gap analysis process, we’ll build a personalized VA claim strategy tailored to your needs — designed to give you the best possible chance of securing the VA rating and compensation you’ve earned for serving our country.
>> Click Here to book your no-obligation consultation or call us right now at (281) 533–6777.
About the Author
Brian Reese is one of the world’s top VA disability claim experts and the #1 bestselling author of VA Claim Secrets and You Deserve It. Frustrated with the VA claim process, Brian founded VA Claims Insider to help disabled veterans win their VA disability compensation faster. He has served over 10 million military members and veterans since 2013. A former Air Force officer, Brian deployed to Afghanistan in 2011. He is a Distinguished Graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy and holds an MBA from Oklahoma State University, where he was a National Honor Scholar.
