Appeals & Legal Assistance for MST VA Rating Claims

MST-related conditions receive automatic healthcare and mental health treatment from the VA, however to collect tax-free compensation you’ll need to file a VA disability claim for a related condition for which you have a current diagnosis. Often victims of MST receive VA disability compensation for anxiety, depression or substance abuse that may have developed from the MST. 

Working with the VA disability lawyers from our VA benefits law firm can help ensure that your appeal includes the information you need for a reversal so that you can begin to collect the benefits you deserve. 

How to Appeal Your Denied MST Claim 

If you disagree with your decision for a VA disability claim that was filed on or after February 19, 2019, you have three options when it comes to appealing your VA disability denial up to 1 year from the date of your decision letter:

• Supplemental Claim Appeal – this is when you introduce additional new and relevant evidence to support your file.
• Higher-Level Review Appeal – when you disagree with the initial decision, during a higher-level review, a senior-level reviewer will review your case based upon the information contained in your initial application, coming to their own decision independent of the initial one. You or your representative on your behalf also has the right to have a one-time informal phone conference with the senior level reviewer to discuss the appeal prior to the decision rendering.  
• Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) – at this level of appeal, a Veterans’ Law Judge (VLJ)  reviews your appeal. There are three (3) evidentiary lanes within the BVA Appeal option: (1) Evidence Submission: You can submit additional evidence for 90 days after you file the Notice of Disagreement; (2) Hearing: You provide live testimony before a VLJ by video-conference or in-person before a VLJ at the Central Office in Washington, D.C.. You can submit additional evidence for up to 60 days after the hearing. You cannot request 2 appeals before the BVA in a row for the same claim. 

When your first appeal is denied, it is possible to appeal again with another option, although, as noted, you cannot file two BVA appeals in a row for the same denied claim. The appeals process can be confusing, time-consuming, and an additional denial could take years to resolve. The best way to support your MST claim appeal and ensure approval is by working with an experienced VA benefits attorney. We know what the VA is looking for and which appeal pathway will be most beneficial for your case. 

Connect with a VA Disability Lawyer for Help with Your MST-Related Claim

Our VA disability attorneys have decades of combined experience helping veterans successfully appeal claims denials. We support you through every step of the way, and whenever possible help veterans receive an accurate VA rating, and recover the compensation they missed out on since they applied. Give us a call at 888-878-9350 or visit our site to schedule a free case evaluation.