Valor Firm’s VA Claims Manual

This manual is designed to help veterans understand how VA decides disability claims. At the left, there are links to all the articles in the manual. Using the search bar below, you can search for specific terms like “PTSD” or “DBQ.”

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Service Connection

Welcome to the Valor Firm’s VA Claims Manual. In this “Service Connection” section, you’ll find articles about the five elements a veteran must show to connect a disability to his or her service. To be eligible for VA disability benefits, a veteran must show:

That is the minimum required to service connect a disability. For a compensable rating (i.e. one that entitles the veteran to a monthly check) the condition must cause symptoms that impact a veteran’s ability to work or socialize. The VA has pages and pages of charts listing various conditions, symptoms, and the percentage assigned to those symptoms. You can read about those charts here.

Questions about your VA Claim?

If you’ve already filed a claim and received a rating decision from the VA, feel like you are caught in VA’s hamster wheel that is the appeals process or have questions about your existing rating, Valor Firm can obtain your claim file and perform a free evaluation of your claim. Please call us at (504) 218-2510 or fill out the form on our contact page.

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The Claim Checklist
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How VA Defines “Veteran”

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If the VA denied your claim, you didn’t get the rating you deserve, or have lost an appeal before the Board of Veterans Appeals, we can help. Call us, text us, email us, or chat with us.

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Let’s Get Started

If the VA denied your claim, you didn’t get the rating you deserve, or have lost an appeal before the Board of Veterans Appeals, we can help. Call us, text us, email us, or fill out the following form.

Call or Text