Submitting your VA disability claim

Lets cover a few basic tips on submitting your VA Disability claim:

#1 – ONLY LIST DIAGNOSED CONDITIONS

Remember a symptom is not a condition; list only diagnosed conditions.  Do not list conditions for which you do not have a diagnosis.  If you think you may have PTSD, for example, you must address that with your physician and dispute the diagnosis there, not with the Ratings Authority – they will simply deny your claim.

#2 – DO NOT BE VAGUE

Claiming “foot problems” will only aggravate the Rating Authority and make their job more difficult.  This goes back to point #1 – list your diagnosed conditions.  That being said, some conditions, like pain during movement of joints can be considered outside of a diagnosis, so long as there is some record to substantiate the claim.

#3 – USE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

All supporting documents must be clearly labeled, is this required?  No.  But making the Rating Authority’s job easier may benefit when they are required to make judgment calls when consulting grey areas of the law.  It is a good idea to only submit medical records that are for the conditions your are claiming, but err on the side of inclusion if you are unsure of wherever it will be relevant.  Ensure your medical records are in chronological order, by condition, that way the Rating Authority will have little trouble finding what you are referencing.