VA Disability Denial Resources

Understanding Your VA Disability Denial

A denial letter is difficult to read and harder to interpret. These resources explain what the sections of a VA rating decision mean, how adjudicators weigh competing medical opinions, and which questions belong with a VA-accredited representative.

Educational information only. Patriot NEXUS Letters provides independent medical evidence and general educational information. We do not provide legal advice, select appeal strategies, or represent claimants before the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Decision navigator

What Did Your VA Decision Say?

Choose the description closest to your situation to find the resource that explains it.

My claim was denied even though I submitted a nexus letterStart with how to read the decision narrative and the favorable findings.The decision said my medical opinion was given less probative weightWhat probative weight means and how opinions are compared.My private doctor and the VA examiner reached opposite conclusionsHow competing medical opinions are evaluated.The decision said my nexus letter lacked medical rationaleWhat medical rationale means in a nexus opinion.VA pointed to another risk factor as the likely causeHow alternative explanations and risk factors are addressed.My secondary service connection claim was deniedWhat a secondary claim requires under 38 CFR § 3.310.I am not sure whether my claim involves causation or aggravationThe two secondary theories and the baseline-severity requirement.I want to understand "at least as likely as not"Medical-opinion terminology and how it differs from the adjudicative standard.The decision said the benefit of the doubt did not applyHow the approximate-balance standard works.

Browse by topic

Denial Resource Library

Start Here

Where to begin after a denial, and how to read the parts of your VA rating decision that explain what happened.

My VA Claim Was Denied Even Though I Submitted a Nexus Letter - What Should I Read First?

Where to start when a claim is denied after a private nexus letter was submitted, and which parts of the rating decision explain the outcome.

Probative Weight & Competing Medical Opinions

How VA adjudicators compare medical opinions, and what it means when one opinion is found more persuasive than another.

What Does "Probative Weight" Mean When VA Denies a Claim Involving a Nexus Letter?

How adjudicators weigh competing medical opinions, and what a decision means when it assigns a private opinion less probative weight.

My Private Doctor and the VA Examiner Disagree - How Does VA Evaluate Conflicting Medical Opinions?

How adjudicators resolve conflicts between a private medical opinion and a C&P examination, and what the decision narrative is expected to explain.

Medical Rationale & Opinion Adequacy

What medical rationale means in a nexus opinion, and why an opinion may be described as conclusory or insufficiently explained.

Why Did VA Say My Nexus Letter Lacked "Medical Rationale"?

What medical rationale means in a nexus opinion, and how adjudicators evaluate whether an opinion explains how its conclusion was reached.

Alternative Explanations & Risk Factors

What it means when a decision points to a non-service risk factor, and what questions that raises about the medical reasoning.

VA Says Another Risk Factor Is More Likely Responsible for My Condition - What Should I Look For?

What it means when a decision attributes a condition to a non-service risk factor, and how clinicians explain the relevance of that factor.

Secondary Service Connection

Secondary claims under 38 CFR § 3.310, including the difference between causation and aggravation.

Secondary Service Connection Was Denied - What Medical Questions Should You Look For?

What a secondary claim requires under 38 CFR § 3.310, and which medical questions a denial narrative usually turns on.

What Is the Difference Between Causation and Aggravation in a VA Secondary Claim?

The two secondary theories under 38 CFR § 3.310, and what the baseline-severity requirement means for an aggravation claim.

Benefit of the Doubt & Medical Probability

Medical probability terminology used in VA medical opinions, and the separate adjudicative benefit-of-the-doubt standard.

What Does "At Least as Likely as Not" Mean in a VA Medical Nexus Opinion?

Medical probability terminology used in VA medical opinions and how it differs from the adjudicative benefit-of-the-doubt standard.

Why Didn't VA Apply the "Benefit of the Doubt" to My Claim?

How the adjudicative benefit-of-the-doubt rule works, and why a decision may find that the evidence was not in approximate balance.

Patriot NEXUS Letters provides independent medical evidence and general educational information. Patriot NEXUS Letters does not provide legal advice, select appeal strategies, or represent claimants before the Department of Veterans Affairs. Information in this article is general in nature and may not apply to the facts of an individual claim. Veterans seeking guidance about their individual claim, VA regulations, court decisions, deadlines, or decision-review options should consider consulting a VA-accredited VSO representative, accredited claims agent, or accredited attorney.

Questions about medical evidence?

Talk with a real person about your records.

Our team can explain how an independent medical review works - call now.

Get Started Now 844-368-2757