Our focus is appeals: after VA issues a decision — a denial, a rating you believe is too low, or the wrong effective date — we build the appeal and develop the record it needs. We also accept initial claims on a case-by-case basis, with no fee charged for work before VA's first decision. Free help from an accredited VSO is also always an option.
Each lane has its own rules on evidence, deadlines, and who decides. Not sure which one fits? Answer four questions.
A Higher-Level Review is a VA appeal lane where a more senior adjudicator re-reviews the exact evidence already in your file and looks for a difference of opinion or a clear error. Any claimant with a VA decision issued within the last year qualifies. No new evidence may be submitted in this lane.
VA Form 20-0996A Supplemental Claim asks the VA to readjudicate a previously decided issue based on new and relevant evidence. Any claimant with new evidence the VA has not already reviewed qualifies, at any time after a decision. Filing within one year of the decision preserves the original effective date for back pay.
VA Form 20-0995A Board appeal sends your VA decision to a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans' Appeals in Washington, D.C. Any claimant with a VA decision issued within the past year qualifies. You choose one of three dockets — Direct Review, Evidence Submission, or Hearing — and that choice controls whether new evidence is allowed.
VA Form 10182 (Notice of Disagreement)A Clear and Unmistakable Error claim asks the VA to revise a final decision that contained an undebatable error which would have changed the outcome. Any claimant with a final, unappealed VA decision qualifies — there is no time limit. If granted, benefits are paid back to the date of the erroneous decision.
No dedicated form — filed as a written motion (VA Form 20-0995 is not used)An earlier effective date claim argues that your VA benefits should have started sooner than the date the VA assigned — which directly increases retroactive back pay. Any claimant whose award date does not match the correct date under 38 CFR § 3.400 may qualify. The argument is usually raised on appeal of the rating decision or through CUE.
38 CFR § 3.400 — General effective date rulesOakridge Claims focuses primarily on post-decision representation — appeals, Higher-Level Reviews, Supplemental Claims, and Board appeals — and develops the record each appeal needs: private and VA treatment records, lay statements, and medical opinions. If your condition has worsened since your last decision, that is filed as a new claim, which we accept case by case with no fee charged before VA's decision. What we do best is appeal: if you disagree with a decision because VA rated you too low on the evidence it already had, that underrating is an appeal issue, and appeal-stage representation is the core of our practice.
VA Form 20-0995 / 20-0996Review of potentially overlooked SMC-S, SMC-L and regular aid and attendance, higher SMC levels, loss-of-use determinations, and disputed effective dates. We review decisions and develop the medical and lay record each appeal needs. Receiving 100% or SMC-L alone does not establish higher entitlement.
Appeals of denied or incorrect DIC decisions for eligible survivors. We accept initial DIC claims on a case-by-case basis (at no fee before decision) but do not handle caregiver or other non-DIC survivor benefits. See the DIC & Survivor Benefits Center for educational guides.
If you disagree with a decision because VA set your rating too low on the evidence it already had, that underrating is an appeal issue and we handle it. A condition that has worsened since the decision is filed as a new claim. We review these case by case at no fee before VA decides it; if that decision comes back too low, we can handle the appeal.
The appeals we handle involve a recurring set of conditions. Each guide breaks down the rating criteria and the evidence VA looks for when it decides them.
PTSD
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 9411 · Mental Health
Depression
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 9434 · Mental Health
Anxiety
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 9400 · Mental Health
Traumatic Brain Injury
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 8045 · Neurological
Migraine Headaches
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 8100 · Neurological
Tinnitus
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 6260 · Auditory
Hearing Loss
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 6100 · Auditory
Sleep Apnea
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 6847 · Respiratory
Sinusitis & Rhinitis
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 6510–6514 · Respiratory
Low Back (Lumbar Spine)
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 5237 · Musculoskeletal
Neck (Cervical Spine)
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 5237 · Musculoskeletal
Knee Conditions
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 5260/5261 · Musculoskeletal
Radiculopathy / Sciatica
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 8520 · Neurological
Diabetes Mellitus II
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 7913 · Endocrine
Hypertension
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 7101 · Cardiovascular
Ischemic Heart Disease
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 7005 · Cardiovascular
GERD
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 7346 · Digestive
IBS
38 CFR § Part 4 · DC 7319 · Digestive
Yes, on a case-by-case basis. Our main focus is post-decision representation — Higher-Level Reviews, Supplemental Claims, and Board appeals — but we accept some initial claims after review. Federal rules (38 CFR § 14.636) bar any fee for work done before VA's first decision on a claim, so accepted initial-claim work is provided at no charge. Free help from an accredited VSO is also available.
An increased-rating request based on a worsened condition is filed as a new claim. We review these case by case, and no fee can be charged before VA decides it. If VA's decision on that increase is denied or underrates you, that decision can be appealed. If instead you believe your original rating was wrong when it was assigned, that's appealable today.
Often, yes — depending on the case. VA also allows properly limited, claim-specific appointments, so if a VSO is already handling a separate claim, our appointment can be limited to the issue we handle.
It depends on how you'd get there. Adding new conditions is new-claim work, which we accept case by case at no fee before VA's decision. If your current service-connected conditions already keep you from maintaining steady employment, you may qualify for TDIU. Results depend entirely on the specifics of your case and the evidence — we can't guarantee any rating or outcome.
A Higher-Level Review has a senior VA reviewer re-examine the same evidence already on file to find errors — no new evidence is allowed. A Supplemental Claim reopens a decision by submitting new and relevant evidence.
We represent survivors in DIC appeals, and initial DIC claims on a case-by-case basis (at no fee before decision). We do not handle caregiver programs, accrued benefits, substitution, or other survivor benefits.
We focus on representation after VA has issued a decision — the appeal after the decision — and we develop the record each appeal needs: private and VA treatment records, lay statements, medical opinions, and anything else the case calls for. We take on representation once VA has issued a decision you disagree with — a denial, an underrated combined rating, or an incorrect effective date — and you want to pursue a Higher-Level Review, Supplemental Claim, or appeal to the Board. If the Board has denied you, we can also help you evaluate options at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC), where representation requires a VA-licensed attorney.
We also accept initial claims and increased-rating claims on a case-by-case basis. Federal rules bar any fee for work before VA's first decision on a claim, so accepted initial-claim work is provided at no charge. Free accredited VSO help remains an option. You can find one in VA's accredited representative directory. And once VA issues a decision you disagree with, appealing that decision is exactly what we do.
We'll always tell you plainly which category your situation falls into before you decide how to proceed. Reaching 100% — whether through combined ratings or TDIU — depends entirely on the facts of your case and the evidence available. Not every claim qualifies, and we cannot guarantee any particular outcome or rating.
A request for an increased rating on a condition that has worsened since your last decision is filed as a new claim. We review these case by case, and no fee can be charged for work before VA decides it. But if VA's decision on that increase comes back too low, that decision can be appealed, and appealing it is what we specialize in: if your rating was incorrect when it was assigned — you were underrated on the evidence VA already had — that is an appeal issue, and we can evaluate it today.
If you have both an existing appeal and a new claim you'd like to file, that's not an either/or situation. VA rules allow properly limited, claim-specific appointments to run at the same time — our representation on your appeal only carves out that specific issue and doesn't disturb your VSO's authority on your separate new claim. We'll make sure our appointment is limited correctly, and walk you through what to confirm with your VSO so both representations work side by side. Before you sign anything with a VSO, read the three questions to ask first.
Disclaimer: Oakridge Claims is a private business and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. No guarantees of outcomes are made.
