VA Disability Lawyers Proudly Serving Richmond Veterans

Our Legal Services for Richmond Veterans

Hill & Ponton focuses on VA appeals to help veterans get the benefits they deserve. Our legal team is dedicated to assisting disabled veterans with:

• Disability Compensation: We fight to ensure you receive the maximum monthly tax-free disability compensation you are entitled to for your service-connected injuries or illnesses.
• Overturning Denials: If your VA disability claim has been denied, we’ll pinpoint the exact reason for the denial and build a strong appeal. We are experts in navigating the VA’s complex appeals system.
• Increased Ratings: If your service-connected condition has worsened, or if you believe your initial rating was too low, we can help you file for an increase in your disability rating.
• Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC): We assist surviving spouses, children, and parents of service members or veterans whose death resulted from a service-related injury or disease.
• Special Monthly Compensation (SMC): This is an additional benefit for veterans with severe disabilities, such as loss of use of limbs or specific sensory functions. We can help determine if you qualify.
• Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU): If your service-connected disabilities prevent you from maintaining substantially gainful employment, you may be eligible for TDIU, which pays at the 100% disability rate, even if your combined rating is lower. 

When Should You Hire a VA Disability Lawyer?

While you can navigate the VA claims and appeals process on your own or with the help of a Veterans Service Officer (VSO), there are distinct advantages to working with an accredited VA disability lawyer, especially for appeals.

If your claim has been denied, or if you are facing a complex appeal for an increased rating, a dedicated VA disability lawyer can make a great impact. Hill & Ponton focuses on these appeals, bringing years of experience to fight for your rightful benefits. Here’s what you’ll get:

• Legal Expertise: VA law is complex and constantly changing. Attorneys understand the legal nuances, case law, and procedural requirements critical for a successful appeal. We stay current on all changes to the VA appeals process.
• Evidence Development: Lawyers are skilled at identifying the evidence needed to win an appeal, including obtaining crucial medical nexus opinions.
• Argument Formulation: We can craft persuasive legal arguments, citing relevant laws and regulations to support your case.
• Hearing Representation: If your appeal goes to a hearing before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, an attorney can represent you, present evidence, and cross-examine witnesses.
• Higher Chances to Succeed: Statistically, veterans represented by lawyers in their appeals often have a higher success rate than those lacking representation. Hill & Ponton has a success rate of 96% for the cases we take on nationwide.

You can find out more about our successes from past clients – read their stories to see how we’ve helped veterans like you achieve the outcomes they deserve.

We Can Win Toxic Exposure Claims

For many veterans, including those in the Richmond area, disabilities may arise from toxic exposure during their service – whether at military bases in Virginia and elsewhere, in various deployment locations or from specific job duties (e.g., exposure to solvents, burn pits, etc.).

Several military facilities in the region are potential sites of toxic exposure, including:

• Fort Gregg-Adams (formerly Fort Lee), located near Petersburg, approximately 21 miles south of Richmond, is known to have been contaminated with PFAS, the “forever chemicals” responsible for multiple types of cancer and other severe diseases. As this is a major logistics and sustainment training center for the Army, many veterans in the Richmond area served at or have connections to the facility.
• Defense Supply Center Richmond (DSCR): A key aviation demand and supply chain management center for the DLA in Chesterfield County, near Richmond, it underwent remediation for volatile organic compounds such as tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene.
• Fort Walker (formerly Fort A.P. Hill): A regional training center for all branches of the military located near Bowling Green, VA (north of Richmond), it has been subject to EPA oversight for hazardous waste cleanup and environmental remediation.
• Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division: Further north, this testing center’s involvement in developing chemical-biological warfare protection led to extensive contamination with a wide range of toxins, from arsenic to TCE.
• Naval Weapons Station Yorktown: Past and present activities at this base east of Richmond have resulted in contamination with metal contaminants, VOCs, CVOCs and other toxic substances.
• Naval Station Norfolk & Other Hampton Roads Bases: The Hampton Roads area (approx. 1.5-2 hours southeast of Richmond) hosts one of the largest concentrations of military bases in the world, including Naval Station Norfolk, Fort Eustis, and others.

If you served at any of these bases, or others across the U.S., and now face challenges with your VA disability claim, we may be able to assist you. Our Virginia lawyers are experienced in handling claims involving toxic exposure and can build a strong case, particularly under the expanded eligibility provided by the PACT Act.

Why Choose Hill & Ponton?

• We Stand By Veterans: Our firm was established by a veteran and all our lawyers bring a profound understanding and deep compassion to every case. We genuinely get the challenges you’re up against and are ready to fight on your behalf.
• Exclusive Focus on Disabled Veterans: Our practice is entirely dedicated to assisting disabled veterans in obtaining the benefits they are entitled to due to their service-connected conditions.
• We’re Experts in Appeals and Increases: While the VA handles initial claims, our primary focus and area of extensive expertise lie in VA disability appeals and fighting for increased disability ratings. If your initial claim has been denied or you believe your rating is too low, we are the experienced team you need.
• No Fee Unless We Win: We are proud of our track record and are committed to helping the veterans who need us the most, at no upfront cost. We only get paid when you get paid.