VA Disability Compensation, Fighting for Your Rating

What is VA Disability Compensation?

VA disability compensation is a tax-free monthly payment to veterans whose medical conditions were caused or aggravated by military service. Ratings run from 0% (service-connected but not compensable) to 100%, in 10% increments. Your monthly payment depends directly on your combined rating.

As of 2025, a single veteran at 70% receives approximately $1,716/month. At 100%, that rises to over $3,737/month, a difference that compounds over years and decades of payments. Getting your rating right is not a technicality; it's a matter of financial security.

How Bryan Helps

Nexus Letters & Medical Opinions

The single most critical element in most disability claims is the medical nexus, the link between your condition and your service. The VA's contracted C&P examiners often produce brief, inadequate opinions. Bryan works with qualified independent physicians to obtain thorough nexus letters that meet the legal "at least as likely as not" standard required for service connection.

Buddy Statements & Lay Evidence

Lay evidence, your own statement and statements from fellow service members, family, or supervisors who witnessed your in-service injury or current limitations, is legally sufficient evidence. Bryan knows how to develop and frame lay evidence to maximum effect.

Secondary Conditions

Many veterans are unaware they can claim secondary conditions caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability. A service-connected knee injury that causes hip problems, or a service-connected back condition that leads to leg radiculopathy, may each warrant a separate rating. Bryan identifies all compensable conditions in your record.

Rating Increase Claims

If your condition has worsened since your last rating, you have the right to seek an increased rating. Bryan evaluates your current symptom picture against the VA's rating criteria and builds the evidence to support an increase.

Common Mistakes Veterans Make

• Relying solely on the C&P exam, C&P examiners are often given minimal information and limited time. Their opinions drive the VA's decision. Don't let a 20-minute exam determine the outcome of a claim that affects you for life.
• Not claiming all conditions, Veterans often claim only their most obvious condition, leaving secondary conditions and residuals unaddressed.
• Inadequate personal statements, Your own statement is evidence. Many veterans either don't submit one or write a statement that doesn't address the legal elements the VA must find.
• Missing the one-year appeal deadline, If you don't appeal within one year of a rating decision, you lose the ability to preserve your effective date and back pay.
• Accepting lowball ratings, Many veterans accept an initial low rating without knowing they can appeal or seek an increase.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is my VA disability rating calculated? +

VA disability ratings run from 0% to 100% in 10% increments. Multiple ratings are combined using the VA's "Whole Person Method", not simple addition. Each successive rating is applied to the remaining percentage of the whole person, which means even veterans with many conditions may fall below 100%.

What is a nexus letter and why do I need one? +

A nexus letter is a medical opinion from a qualified physician stating your disability is "at least as likely as not" connected to your military service. It is often the most critical piece of evidence in a disability claim, especially when service treatment records are incomplete.

Can I claim secondary conditions? +

Yes. If a service-connected condition causes or aggravates another condition, that secondary condition can also be service-connected. Secondary conditions deserve their own separate rating.

What if my C&P exam was inadequate? +

If your Compensation and Pension exam failed to adequately assess your condition, you have the right to challenge it by submitting a private medical opinion, filing an appeal, or requesting that the VA order a new exam.