Service-Connected Disability Attorney Miami, FL
If you served this country and came home with a condition the VA won’t fully recognize, you are not on your own. Maybe your claim was denied outright. Maybe the rating you received doesn’t reflect what you’re actually living with day to day. Or maybe you filed years ago, accepted a low rating, and have since learned you were entitled to far more. We can assist clients with cases regarding all of these scenarios.
Our Miami, FL service-connected disability lawyer has been representing veterans in VA claims and appeals for more than 12 years. We handle cases from the initial application through federal court, and we represent veterans across the country. At Glover Luck LLP, our practice is built entirely around veterans law. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Why Choose Glover Luck LLP for Service-Connected Disability in Miami, FL?
VA-Accredited Attorneys With Appellate Reach
Founding partners Julie L. Glover and Adam R. Luck co-founded Glover Luck LLP in 2014 with one purpose: representing veterans who are fighting the VA for the benefits they earned. Both are VA-accredited attorneys, formally authorized to represent veterans in claims before the agency.
Julie holds a Juris Doctor from Texas A&M School of Law and an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Alabama. She is admitted before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the Fifth and Tenth Circuits, and the Supreme Court of the United States, and her practice covers VA service-connected disability claims through federal court.
Adam earned his law degree from Texas A&M School of Law and a finance degree from Kansas State University. Before law school, he worked as a licensed financial advisor at USAA, where he saw how difficult the VA system was for veterans without legal help. He is admitted before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and holds membership in the Military Law Section of the American Bar Association.
Both are members of the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates (NOVA). Adam also volunteers at free legal clinics for veterans at Dallas and Fort Worth VA medical centers through Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans.
Results That Matter
Our firm has helped veterans across the country recover millions of dollars in VA disability benefits. We take the denials, the low ratings, the appeals that have been sitting at the Board for years, and the claims where records have gone missing. Our track record and roster of thousands of satisfied clients speaks for itself.
Admitted to Practice Where It Counts
Service-connected disability claims don’t always end at the regional office or even at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. Sometimes they have to go further. Julie is admitted to the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Tenth Circuits and the Supreme Court of the United States. Adam is admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
No Fees Unless We Win
We represent service-connected disability clients in Miami on a contingency basis. No upfront costs, and no fee unless your case resolves in your favor.
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“I was referred to Glover-Luck by Hill and Ponton. They not only got movement on my stalled claims, they helped me file for things I didn’t know I could claim, and things I didn’t know I was entitled to. Even after exhausting options with a VSO, the team at Glover-Luck got me the benefits that I’m entitled to. I have already recommended this Firm to other Veterans who are also having issues with the VA claims process. Hiring this Firm was the best decision I’ve made in a long time!” — Brian Connelly
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Types of Service-Connected Disability Cases We Handle in Miami
Service connection is the legal foundation of every VA disability claim. Without it, no compensation is possible. We help veterans establish, protect, and strengthen that connection across a wide range of conditions and claim types.
- Medical malpractice. When VA healthcare providers cause harm through negligent care, the resulting injury or worsened condition may itself become service-connected. These cases involve both a disability rating claim and a potential Federal Tort Claims Act filing. We handle both tracks together.
- Traumatic brain injuries. A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is routinely misdiagnosed or underrated. Raters often fail to account for the full secondary symptom picture, which can include memory problems, mood disorders, chronic headaches, and sleep disruption. We build TBI claims with the complete picture in mind.
- PTSD and mental health conditions. PTSD is one of the most contested service-connected conditions in the VA system. Examiners dispute the stressor, the diagnosis, or the severity. We’ve handled PTSD claims arising from combat exposure, military sexual trauma, and other in-service events, and we know how to fight back when the VA gets it wrong.
- Psychiatric and mental health disabilities. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders arising from service are often denied or rated far too low. We develop the full evidentiary record and challenge inadequate ratings.
- Direct service connection claims. Physical injuries, orthopedic conditions, respiratory disease, skin disorders, hearing loss, and any other condition that was incurred during or aggravated by active military service. If there’s a current diagnosis and a credible in-service event, we build the case around those facts.
- Secondary service connection. A condition that develops as a result of a service-connected disability can itself be service-connected under 38 C.F.R. § 3.310. A veteran with a service-connected knee injury who develops chronic back problems from altered gait, for example, may have a separate compensable claim.
- TDIU claims. When service-connected conditions prevent a veteran from maintaining gainful employment, Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability provides compensation at the 100 percent rate even if the combined schedular rating is lower.
- Rating increase and rating protection claims. A low rating isn’t always final. If your condition has worsened, or if the original rating was based on an inadequate exam, there are paths to a higher rating. Equally important, ratings that have been in place for years carry legal protections against reduction that the VA is required to respect.
Florida Legal Requirements for Service-Connected Disability Claims
Service-connected disability claims are governed by federal law, not Florida state law. But there are specific rules that every Miami veteran filing or appealing a claim must understand.
The three-element test under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303. Establishing service connection requires three things: a current diagnosis, evidence that an in-service event, injury, or disease occurred, and a medical nexus opinion linking the two. Under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303, service connection can be granted for conditions diagnosed after discharge when the overall evidence establishes the condition was incurred during service. This matters enormously for veterans whose conditions were not formally diagnosed until years after leaving the military.
Secondary service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.310. Per 38 C.F.R. § 3.310, any disability that is proximately due to or results from a service-connected disease or injury is itself service-connected. A non-service-connected condition aggravated by a service-connected disability can also be connected to the extent of that aggravation. Many veterans are unaware of these secondary claims.
Rating protections for long-standing service connections. Under 38 C.F.R. § 3.957, a service connection in effect for 10 or more years cannot be severed without clear and unmistakable error. The 5, 10, and 20-year protection rules are a significant but often overlooked layer of legal protection. ur blog on VA disability protections breaks down how these rules work.
Effective date rules. Compensation generally runs back to the date the claim was filed. Understanding what an effective date means and protecting it from the very start is one of the most important things we do for new clients. We seek back pay in situations when the VA delays or underpays, if it applies in your situation.
What Damages Are Recoverable in a Miami Service-Connected Disability Case?
Monthly disability compensation. VA disability payments are tax-free and calculated based on combined disability rating, running from 0 to 100 percent in 10-percent increments. A veteran rated at 100 percent in 2026 receives over $3,700 per month with no dependents, with additional amounts for a spouse, children, or dependent parents. The VA’s combined ratings table uses a formula that is not simple addition, which routinely results in veterans being rated lower than their individual conditions suggest. We understand that formula and challenge ratings that do not apply it correctly.
Retroactive back pay. When a claim is granted or a rating increases, compensation runs back to the date the claim was originally filed. For veterans who have spent years in the appeals process, that back pay can be substantial. Challenging an incorrect effective date can result in even larger awards when the original decision contained legal error.
Special Monthly Compensation. Veterans with particularly severe service-connected conditions may qualify for SMC above the standard disability rate, including those needing aid and attendance, those who are permanently housebound, and those who have lost use of certain extremities or organs. SMC is frequently missed in initial decisions and can add significantly to a monthly benefit.
Secondary condition ratings. Each service-connected secondary condition gets its own disability rating, combined with the primary rating using the VA’s formula. Veterans who have not developed their secondary conditions are often receiving far less than they are entitled to. We evaluate the complete clinical picture on every case.
VA healthcare and related benefits. Service-connected veterans receive VA healthcare for connected conditions at little or no cost. Additional benefits can include adaptive housing grants, vocational rehabilitation, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for surviving family members through our death and survivor benefits practice.
Contact Glover Luck LLP
Service connection is the gateway to everything else in the VA system. Getting it right from the start matters, and fighting back when the VA gets it wrong matters just as much. Whether you are filing a first claim, challenging a denial, or trying to get a rating that reflects your actual condition, our Miami service-connected disability lawyer is ready to evaluate your case.
Consultations with Glover Luck LLP are free. We work on contingency, so you pay nothing unless your case is resolved in your favor. Contact us today to get started.
