Sovereign Grand Inspector General Stuart A. Lee, II, 33 o , USC Veterans Resource Committee
believed they deserved. The truth is that each Veteran ’ s military service and background, records, and injuries are unique. For example, just because Veteran Jones was granted service connection for a specific disability and served in the same branch and role as Veteran Thomas, it doesn ’ t mean Veteran Thomas will be granted service connection for the same disability. Veteran Jones may have received treatment during service and had a current diagnosis of the condition when filing his claim. Conversely, Veteran Thomas may not have sought treatment during or after service for his claimed condition and may not have a current diagnosis. As a result, Veteran Jones likely submitted a more complete and well-supported claim, resulting in the award of service connection for that disability. Although Veteran Thomas was denied service connection, he still has the right to appeal the decision. He has several options to do so, including the Supplemental Claim and the request for Higher-Level Review. A Supplemental Claim is a good option if a claimant disagrees with a decision on their claim and wants to add or identify new and relevant evidence for review and consideration. Supplemental Claims are submitted using VA Form 20-0995, Decision Review Request: Supplemental
Having worked for over 10 years assisting Veterans and their families with filing claims and securing benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, I ’ ve encountered both positive and negative outcomes related to VA rating decisions. Some Veterans received all or part of the benefits they sought, while others did not. Some obtained benefits, but not the evaluation rating they
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The Fall Bulletin
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