How to Appeal a Denied or Under-Rated VA Decision

The way veterans appeal VA decisions changed on February 19, 2019, when the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) took effect. Instead of one long, slow appeal, you now choose between three review lanes — and each one is built for a different situation. A fourth path, Clear and Unmistakable Error (CUE), exists outside the AMA system for fixing undeniable errors on older decisions.

The three AMA review lanes

Every appeal starts from a decision letter you disagree with. You generally have one year from the date of the decision to choose a lane and file. Here's how they compare:

How to choose the right lane

• Choose Higher-Level Review if the VA already had everything it needed and still got it wrong — for example, it ignored evidence in your file or misapplied the rating schedule. It's the fastest lane.
• Choose a Supplemental Claim if you have new evidence — a new medical record, a nexus letter, a buddy statement — that wasn't in the original decision. The VA has a duty to assist you in gathering it.
• Choose a Board Appeal if you want a judge to review your case, especially if you want to submit additional evidence or testify at a hearing.
• Choose CUE only when the VA made an undeniable error — not just a disagreement about judgment — on a decision that's already final. CUE has no time limit and can recover retroactive pay back to the original decision.

Explore each lane

What we do for you

You don't have to pick a lane alone. We read your decision letter, identify why the VA got it wrong, gather the right evidence, and file the appeal in the lane that gives you the best shot — then represent you through every VA request until a decision is issued.