What is a Reopened Claim

If you were denied veterans benefits and you have exhausted your appeals (DRO, BVA, CAVC), or you missed the appeal deadlines, you may not be out of luck, and you don’t necessarily have to start a new claim for benefits to try again. While you always have the right to start your veterans benefits claim over again (as many times as you want), it can be a pretty daunting process after you have already been wading through the VA bureaucracy for months or years.

There is another option that may be open to you, and that is to request that the VA Regional Office “reopen” your original claim. Unfortunately, when you reopen a claim, retroactive benefits are not paid to you based on the date you originally filed a claim, but instead are based on the date you filed a request to have the claim reopened. The benefit of a reopened claim is that unlike a new claim you will know why the VA denied your claim in the first place based on prior decisions. This gives you the chance to develop the medical and legal evidence needed to win the claim.

To get help with your reopen claim, go to this link and schedule your appointment: Schedule an Appointment.