Are you looking for a VA disability compensation lawyer in Texas?
At Glover Luck LLP, we are trusted VA disability compensation lawyers serving clients across Texas for over 12 years.
If the VA denied your disability claim, assigned a rating lower than your symptoms support, or has left a Texas claim pending without a decision, the next step is a close review of the evidence the VA relied on. Our Texas VA disability compensation lawyer represents veterans at the regional office level, before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and in federal court.
Glover Luck LLP was founded in 2014, and both of its founders are VA-accredited attorneys licensed in Texas. We offer a free consultation, and you can schedule yours today.
VA Disability Compensation Lawyer Texas
At the end of fiscal year 2024, 642,981 Texas veterans were receiving disability compensation, the highest count of any state in the VA’s annual benefits report. Every one of those payments traces back to a rating decision that the veteran has the right to challenge.
A VA disability compensation attorney in Texas represents veterans pursuing monthly, tax-free payments for conditions that began or worsened during military service. The work is evidentiary. We gather service and medical records, obtain medical opinions connecting a condition to service, identify errors in the rating, and choose the review option most likely to correct them. When the agency gets it wrong at every level, the case can go to federal court.
Types of VA Disability Compensation Cases We Handle in Texas
Compensation claims rarely fit a single category. One veteran may need service connection for a back condition, a higher rating for hearing loss, and a corrected effective date for both. We handle each of these matters for veterans throughout Texas.
- Service-Connected Disability. Every compensation award starts with proof that a current condition is linked to service. We assemble service treatment records, post-service medical evidence, and nexus opinions that respond directly to the reason the VA gave for a denial.
- Disability Rating Increases. Many conditions get worse after the VA assigns an initial rating. We compare current medical findings against the rating criteria for each condition and file for an increase when the records support one.
- VA Rating Reduction. The VA sometimes proposes lowering a rating after a reexamination. Our response focuses on medical evidence of sustained impairment, and we examine whether the rating has been in place long enough to carry added protection.
- Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU). Veterans whose service-connected conditions keep them from holding steady work may be paid at the 100% rate without a 100% combined rating. Employment history and vocational evidence carry real weight here, and temporary and permanent TDIU awards are treated differently on later review.
- Effective Date Disputes. The effective date of an award controls how much back pay a veteran receives. We search the claim history for earlier filings, intent-to-file records, and correspondence that may support an earlier date.
- Burn Pit Exposure. Veterans who served near open burn pits may now qualify for presumptive service connection for certain respiratory conditions and cancers. We review deployment records and older denials in light of recent toxic exposure changes.
- VA Asbestos Cases. Shipyard work, engine rooms, and older military buildings exposed many service members to asbestos. We document that exposure through occupational and duty records and connect it to diagnoses such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.
- VA Radiation Exposure. Claims tied to nuclear testing, cleanup duty, or radiation-related occupations depend on detailed duty and dose records. We obtain those records and present them with the medical evidence.
- Overpayment Issues. When the VA decides a veteran was overpaid, it may withhold future benefits to recover the debt. We check whether the overpayment was calculated correctly and whether a waiver request or dispute is available.
Why Choose Glover Luck LLP as My VA Disability Compensation Lawyer in Texas?
Founders Licensed in Texas and Admitted to the Veterans Court
Julie L. Glover and Adam R. Luck co-founded our firm in 2014, and both earned their law degrees at Texas A&M’s School of Law. Julie is licensed in Texas and admitted to all four federal district courts in the state, as well as the Fifth Circuit. Adam is admitted to the Supreme Court of Texas, the Northern District of Texas, and the Federal Circuit. Both are admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States and to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, known as the CAVC. A Texas claim that begins at the regional office can stay with the same attorneys if it later moves into federal court.
Veterans Advocacy Beyond the Case File
Both founders belong to the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates (NOVA). Adam volunteers at free legal clinics for veterans at the Dallas and Fort Worth VA medical centers through Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans. Before law school, he worked with service members and veterans as a financial advisor at USAA, where he saw how many of their legal needs went unaddressed. Julie and Adam co-founded Glover Luck LLP in 2014 to focus on veterans disability representation, and both handle veterans’ claims and appeals at the agency and court levels.
What Is Important to Understand About VA Disability Compensation Cases?
Service Connection, Ratings, and Compensation for VA Disability Claims
A handful of core concepts decide whether a claim is granted and how much it pays.
- Direct service connection links a current diagnosis to an injury, illness, or event during service.
- Secondary service connection covers a condition caused or worsened by a disability that is already service connected, such as a knee condition that develops after years of compensating for a service-connected back injury.
- Presumptive service connection applies to specific conditions the VA presumes are related to certain service periods, locations, or exposures.
- The disability rating is a percentage reflecting how severely a condition affects earning capacity, and the VA’s rating criteria guidance differs by body system.
- The combined rating comes from a formula rather than simple addition, which is why combined VA ratings often come out lower than veterans expect.
- Monthly compensation depends on the combined rating and the number of dependents.
What Are Important Aspects of a VA Disability Compensation Case?
Most denials trace back to a gap in the claim evidence, not a dispute over whether the veteran served. The VA lists its evidence requirements by claim type, and a Texas VA disability compensation lawyer will usually focus on these elements.
- A current diagnosis from a treating provider or VA examiner
- Proof of the in-service event, injury, or exposure, typically drawn from service treatment or personnel records
- A medical nexus opinion explaining why the condition is at least as likely as not related to service
- Accurate, consistent symptom reporting at the C&P exam, because the examiner’s report often carries significant weight in the rating decision
- Statements from family members or fellow service members who witnessed the event or the change in symptoms
What Is the VA Disability Compensation Case Timeline?
Timing depends on the number of conditions claimed, whether exams are required, and which review lane a veteran chooses after a decision. Each review option also carries its own filing deadline, so the date printed on a decision letter matters.
- Filing the claim. The veteran submits the claim, often after an intent to file that can protect an earlier effective date.
- Development. The VA requests service and medical records and schedules compensation and pension exams.
- Rating decision. The VA grants or denies service connection, assigns a rating, and sets an effective date.
- Decision review. A veteran who disagrees can pursue a supplemental claim, a higher-level review, or a Board appeal through the VA decision review process, and Texas BVA appeals may include a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.
- Federal court. A Board denial can be appealed to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
What Should You Bring to Your VA Disability Compensation Consultation?
Your VA paperwork shows us exactly where the claim stands. Bring copies of whatever you have, even if the file is incomplete.
- Your DD-214 and any other separation documents
- Every VA decision letter and rating code sheet you have received
- C&P exam reports, private medical records, and VA treatment notes
- A short written list of your symptoms and how they affect work and daily life
During the free consultation, we review these documents with you and explain the review options that fit your situation. We’ll tell you plainly whether the record supports a stronger claim, and if it doesn’t, we will say so.
Texas VA Regional Offices and Local Veterans Resources
Texas has two VA regional benefit offices. The Waco regional office handles disability compensation claims, survivor benefits, pension claims, and records requests, and it accepts walk-in visits as well as scheduled appointments. The Houston regional office processes compensation claims along with education, vocational rehabilitation, home loan, and military sexual trauma matters. The rules governing compensation are federal, so a claim decided in Waco follows the same rating criteria as one decided anywhere else in the country. The VA also publishes its current compensation rates by rating level and number of dependents, which a VA disability compensation attorney in Texas can use to estimate the value of a rating change.
Reach Out to Glover Luck LLP to Schedule a Consultation
A decision letter from the VA is not the last word on your claim. Glover Luck LLP offers a free consultation to veterans throughout Texas, and we can review your decision letters, rating history, and medical evidence before recommending a course of action. Contact us to schedule a consultation with our Texas VA disability compensation lawyer.
