Why VA Denied Your Disability Claim and What to Do Next
Welcome to the Worsham Veterans Law Resource Center. The articles published here are intended to provide general information about VA disability claims and appeals. Because every claim depends on its own facts and circumstances, these articles are provided for general informational purposes and should not be considered legal advice.
Receiving a VA disability claim denial can be frustrating, especially if you believe your condition is related to your military service. A denial, however, does not necessarily mean your claim lacks merit. Rather, it means VA concluded that the evidence then of record did not establish one or more of the legal requirements for the benefit sought.
Understanding why your claim was denied is the first step toward deciding what to do next.
Every VA claim denial has a reason
VA is required to explain the basis for its decision. Although every case is different, many denials involve one or more of the basic requirements for establishing service connection.
VA concluded the evidence did not establish a current disability.
To establish service connection, a Veteran generally must have evidence of a current disability. In some cases, VA determines that the evidence does not establish the existence of a current disability during the relevant period. In other cases, the record may not contain sufficient evidence for VA to make that determination, raising questions about whether additional development, including a Compensation and Pension (C&P) examination, may have been warranted.
VA concluded the evidence did not establish an in-service disease, event, or injury.
Service connection generally requires evidence of a disease, event, or injury during military service. That evidence may include service treatment records, military personnel records, competent lay statements, and other relevant evidence. Whether the evidence establishes an in-service disease, event, or injury depends on the facts of the individual case.
VA concluded the evidence did not establish a connection (nexus) between your current disability and military service.
Even when a Veteran has a current disability and evidence of an in-service disease, event, or injury, VA must determine whether the evidence establishes a connection between the two. In many cases, the central issue is not whether the Veteran has a disability, but whether the evidence adequately connects that disability to military service. Medical opinions, lay evidence, and other supporting evidence may all play an important role in establishing that connection.
It is not uncommon for a denial to involve more than one reason. Although a rating decision may emphasize one reason for denying a claim, a careful review of the record may reveal additional reasons the claim was denied that should also be addressed.
Identifying the specific reason or reasons for the denial is the key to determining the most appropriate next step.
A denial is not always the end of the claim
The Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) provides several options after an unfavorable decision. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to file a Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence, request Higher-Level Review, or appeal to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA). Each option has different rules, deadlines, and strategic considerations.
Choosing the appropriate path depends on why VA denied the claim.
An experienced review can make a difference
If you have received a VA disability claim denial and are unsure what to do next, an experienced review of the rating decision and the evidence may help identify the issues that led to the denial and the most appropriate path forward.
If you’re unsure how to interpret your VA Rating Decision, you may also find the article “How to Read a VA Rating Decision” helpful. It explains the different sections of a VA rating decision and where to find the information that can help you understand why VA reached its decision.
If you are considering filing a new claim, our article “Filing a VA Disability Claim: Common Mistakes to Avoid” discusses some common problems Veterans can avoid during the claims process.
About the Author
Eric Worsham is the founder of Worsham Veterans Law, PLLC. He began representing Veterans in VA disability claims and appeals in 2007. From 2019 to 2025, he served as an attorney with the VA’s Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA), where he reviewed claims files, analyzed the evidence and applicable law, and drafted decisions in Veterans’ appeals. He now represents Veterans nationwide in VA disability claims and appeals.