Dedicated Advocacy for Texas Veterans
A denial from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office in Houston, Waco, or San Antonio does not mean that your claim has been closed. Every year, many legitimate claims filed by veterans in Texas are rejected, not because their conditions are not related to their service, but because the claim was not fully developed in accordance with federal standards for VA compensation under 38 C.F.R. Part 3. This may be due to an absence of a medical connection, incomplete service records, an incomplete Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam, or an undiagnosed secondary condition.
Common reasons why initial Texas claims for veterans’ benefits are denied or undervalued include:
At Tabak Law, our team of experienced attorneys reviews past decisions carefully, identifies gaps in the evidence, and builds stronger, more strategic cases that align with current VA standards. We understand what the VA regional offices and the Board of Veterans’ Appeals require, and we know how to meet these standards.
Service-Connected Conditions We Help Texas Veterans Establish
To receive VA disability compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1110, veterans must demonstrate three things: a current diagnosis, an event, injury, or exposure that occurred during military service, and a medical connection between the current condition and that event. Tabak Law assists Texas veterans in building and documenting all three elements for a wide range of service-related conditions.
PTSD and Military Sexual Trauma
Texas is home to some of the largest and most active military bases in the country, including Fort Cavazos (formerly known as Fort Hood), Joint Base San Antonio, and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. Veterans who train and deploy from these bases often return home with invisible wounds. They may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), arising from combat, military sexual trauma, or other traumatic events during their service. These conditions are assessed under 38 C.F.R. § 4.130 and classified under the Diagnostic Code 9411.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
TBI resulting from blast exposure, vehicle rollover, or other combat or training incidents is a significant issue among veterans of the post-9/11 generation in Texas. These injuries require careful attention from the VA, as they are often associated with Diagnostic Code 8045. Independent neurological evaluations are often necessary to accurately assess the cognitive, behavioral, and neurological effects on the veteran’s daily life and employment potential.
Burn Pit and Toxic Exposure Under the PACT Act
The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 dramatically expanded VA presumptive eligibility for veterans exposed to burn pits, open air combustion, and other toxic substances at overseas installations. Texas has a large number of veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who were exposed to the challenges and difficulties of those conflicts. Many of these veterans are now eligible for financial compensation and health care benefits they may not have received previously.
Agent Orange Exposure
Vietnam-era veterans and other individuals who were exposed to herbicides may be eligible for presumptive service connections under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e) for a wide range of cancers and systemic conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, and various types of cancer.
Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, and Musculoskeletal Injuries
Hearing loss and tinnitus continue to be the most common service-connected conditions in the Veterans Affairs system year after year. These conditions are caused by exposure to weapons fire, aircraft engines, explosives, and heavy machinery. Back and spinal injuries, knee damage, shoulder injuries, and other musculoskeletal conditions also affect a significant number of veterans. These conditions arise from the extreme physical demands that military service places on the body.
Gulf War Syndrome and Chronic Multisymptom Illness
Veterans who served in Southwest Asia during the Gulf War may qualify for presumptive service-connection for chronic, undiagnosed illnesses under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317. This section covers conditions such as chronic fatigue, functional gastrointestinal disorders, joint pain, and other medically unexplained symptoms.
Appealing Denied or Underrated Claims Under the AMA
The Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) provides legal options for veterans if their claim is denied or their disability rating does not accurately reflect the severity of their condition. The AMA provides veterans with three different methods of appealing a decision they do not like, each with its own set of strategic and procedural requirements.
A Higher-Level Review is a process where a senior Veterans Affairs (VA) adjudicator reviews existing evidence for factual or legal errors. This option is most effective when the original decision is clearly incorrect based on available evidence. A Supplemental Claim allows veterans to submit new and relevant information, such as an independent medical opinion or additional service records, which is useful when current documentation is insufficient to support a claim.
An appeal to the Board of Veteran’s Appeals places a case before a judge, allowing for a formal hearing. Tabak Law directly advocates on behalf of veterans at this level. All appeals have strict deadlines, typically one year after the VA decision, and Tabak reviews each denial, identifying flaws in VA reasoning and recommending the best path to challenge the decision for the best possible outcome.
TDIU: When Disabilities Prevent Gainful Employment
Many Texas veterans are unable to maintain full-time, gainful employment due to service-related disabilities, even if their combined rating does not exceed 100%. Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) allows qualifying veterans to receive compensation based on their inability to maintain 100% employment. Eligibility for TDIU is governed by 38 C.F.R. §4.16 and generally requires either a single disability rated at 60% or higher, or a combination of conditions totaling 70%, with at least one condition rated at 40%.
TDIU claims are often denied due to insufficient documentation of a veteran’s functional and vocational limitations, rather than because they are genuinely able to work. Tabak Law provides comprehensive TDIU evidence packages for veterans in Texas, including medical documentation of their functional limitations, detailed employment histories demonstrating the impact of service-connected conditions, statements from treating physicians regarding their work capacity, and, if necessary, vocational assessments.
Why Texas Veterans Choose Tabak Law
VA disability law is a highly specialized area of federal practice that requires a deep understanding of rating regulations, administrative appeal procedures, medical standards, and military records systems. These are all essential components of every claim for benefits that a veteran may have earned. Tabak Law has helped recover nearly $325 million in benefits and has served more than 25,000 veterans across the country.
Our team includes attorneys and staff members who are veterans. We understand what it is like to face a complicated federal bureaucracy and manage disabilities that affect daily life, employment, and overall quality of life. This understanding guides our approach to every case we work on in Texas. Our clients benefit from personalized evidence analysis, strategic planning aligned with VA standards, clear and consistent communication, and respect for their service and time.
Serving Veterans Across the State of Texas
Tabak Law helps veterans all over Texas. Because federal law governs VA disability claims, you can get help from anyone, regardless of where you live. We serve veterans throughout the state, including:
- Houston
- San Antonio
- Dallas
- Fort Worth
- Austin
- El Paso
- Arlington
- Corpus Christi
- Killeen
- Laredo
- Lubbock
- Waco
- Amarillo
- Beaumont
- Abilene
- Wichita Falls
- Odessa
- Midland
Texas veterans are served through a wide network of VA (Veterans Affairs) facilities, including the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, the South Texas Veterans Health Care System in San Antonio, the VA North Texas Health Care System, in Dallas, Central Texas Veterans’ Health Care Systems in Waco and Temple, as well as the VA El Paso Health Care system. In addition, there are numerous community-based outpatient clinics throughout the state. Tabak Law specializes in providing federal legal representation to Texas veterans to help them secure and protect their disability benefits.
You Served Our Country. We’ll Help You Be Heard.
If you are a veteran from Texas facing challenges with your VA disability benefits, you don’t have to navigate the system on your own. Tabak Law offers experienced, no-cost representation for veterans throughout every stage of the claim and appeals process.