Deferred VA Decision

When I was in grad school I was involved in a heated debate with one of my professors about how many choices a person should be given when evaluating an instructor. I argued that only two choices were needed because it made the process much simpler and it really would cut down on a lot of uncertainty.

 

I also argued that an individual will be more honest if they can only rate their instructor as good or bad. Her argument was that you should have five choices. She suggested two options on the good side, two on the bad, and one for individuals who did not feel one way or the other.

 

I argued until I was blue in the face that it was asinine to have so many options, but she wouldn’t hear it. That was the only class in grad school in which I obtained a B.

 

I still think I’m right though. Too many options complicate things. If you think I’m wrong, try shopping for a new car. That process has far too many options. The same is true for VA Disability too. Most Veterans used to think that their decisions could be approved or denied. However, a recent look at our analytics shows that more individuals are becoming aware of the third option; deferred.

If you’re approved, that means the VA has enough evidence to rule in favor of your disability benefits. If you received a denial, it means that the VA has enough evidence to rule against your benefits.

Veterans uniform

However, the third option is where things get complicated. Your decision can be deferred as the VA does not have enough evidence to approve or deny you. It’s kind of like your claim is in limbo. Things get even more complicated when you file multiple claims.

 

It is actually possible to get approved, denied and deferred on one rating decision. This will truly send you through the range of emotions. Other than not being approved or denied, what does a deferred decision really mean? A deferred decision may also be said to be underdeveloped. Meaning that you have not provided everything they need yet.

 

This could be missing medical records, missing admin records, or any number of things. Let’s say you filed claims for PTSD, a Right Shoulder Condition, and your Left Knee. It’s possible that the VA will grant you on the two joint conditions while deferring the claim for PTSD.

 

There may be plenty of medical evidence for your joint conditions while your medical evidence for PTSD is lacking. If so, the PTSD claim will be deferred.

 

 

It’s important to note that there is not an exact timeline when dealing with the in this situation. It’s possible that it could only take a month for the VA make your decision or it could last several months, even up to a year.

 

It’s dependent upon how much more the VA needs for your claim. In a perfect world the VA could only make approvals or denials. Unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world. The VA is really backlogged, and it’s necessary for them to make deferred decisions.

 

If they didn’t, your entire claim would take much longer. If you get a deferred decision, don’t get discouraged. It’s important to follow up on it though. This is one of the reasons so many Veterans turn to va disability lawyers  for help with their claims. We have safeguards in place to make sure your decisions don’t get lost.

 

We are also able to provide whatever additional evidence the VA needs. This will help take the pressure off of you. If you’d like to know more about our services, call us today for a free consultation.

 

Our toll free number is 1-877-526-3457. Or, you can fill this form out so that we may contact you at a more convenient time.

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