A number of our veterans live in the Mobile, Alabama and Florida panhandle (e.g., Pensacola, Milton, Crestview, Ft. Walton, Destin, Panama City, Tallahassee) areas. In our practice, we have helped numbers of those veterans increase their Veterans Administration (“VA”) disability rating.
The VA issues a disability rating to a vetern if she/she has a service-connected disablity.* If a veteran feels that his/her rating should be raised, then the veteran needs to apply for an incease. To do so, the veteran should complete a VA-Form 21-41-38 – Statement in Support of Claim. That form should be filled out and signed in accordance with the directions on that form. It is important to remember to include as much information as possible about the severity of the disability and how that disability affects activities of daily living. That form should then be mailed to the local VA regional office. The VA-Form 21-4138 and additional information about benefits can be found at www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/; questions can also be answered by calling 1-800-827-1000.
* This informatoin specifically addresses service-connected disability compensation benefits. A veteran who has served for 90 days or more of active duty with at one of those days falling during a period of war may be eligible to receive a non-service-connected pension if he or she is unable to work as a result of his or her condition(s).