How Do I Know If My VA Rating is Wrong?

Written by the Founder, VAClaims.ai

If you’ve ever looked at your VA disability rating and thought, “This doesn’t seem right…” then you’re not alone. Most of the time is obvious the VA made an error, sometimes not so obvious. Many veterans don’t realize they could be under-rated, missing conditions, or victims of clerical or legal errors in past decisions.

Based on my personal experience, I’d say the VA process gets it right about half the time. The problem is that usually they get it wrong against the veteran.

In this post, we’ll walk you through how to figure out if your VA rating is correct — and what to do if it’s not.

Step 1: You Need To Understand What Your Rating Should Represent

Your VA disability rating is supposed to reflect how much your service-connected conditions impair your ability to work and live a normal life. It’s based on:

• The severity of your condition

• How well it fits into the VA rating schedule

• Whether your condition affects your ability to earn a living

Pretty simple right? lol. If you feel your rating doesn’t reflect your reality, that’s a sign something could be off.

Step 2: Review Your Decision Letters

Every time the VA makes a decision on your claim, they issue a Rating Decision Letter. These letters explain:

• Which conditions were granted (or denied)

• What percentage rating each condition received

• Why the VA made their decision

The Clear Red flags to look for are these:

• The VA ignored or misinterpreted your medical records. Happens all the time and what our service seeks to reduce.

• The reasoning is vague or lacks evidence

• Conditions are missing that were in your medical files

• Ratings seem too low for how serious the condition is

Step 3: Always Check Your C-File - Yes It’s Worth The Wait

Your C-File (Claims File) is the VA’s full record of your claim history, service records, medical documents, and internal communications. It’s the master file used to decide your benefits. It’s a pain to get, but once you have it you’re on track to get everything sorted out!

By reviewing or analyzing your C-File, you can:

• Spot missed medical evidence

• Discover past rating errors

• Identify overlooked secondary conditions

• Look for signs of a Clear and Unmistakable Error (CUE)

Need help reading your C-File? It can be hundreds or even thousands of pages long. Our Services uses HIPAA-compliant AI to scan your entire record and flag potential rating errors — fast.

Step 4: Understand the VA Rating Schedule

Each condition has specific criteria under 38 CFR Part 4, the VA’s schedule of rating disabilities. But it’s complicated and frankly pretty unfair. For example:

• Knee instability might be rated at 10%, 20%, or 30% — depending on the severity

• PTSD has very specific criteria for each level: 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 100%

• Sleep apnea requires a CPAP to qualify for 50%

The goal is to classify you into a neat schedule, however ridiculous this seems. You may be rated too low if:

• The wrong diagnostic code was used

• Your condition has worsened, but hasn’t been re-evaluated

• The VA used outdated evidence

Step 5: Ask Yourself These Questions

• Do I have conditions that weren’t claimed or rated?

• Has my condition worsened since I was last rated?

• Did the VA rely on incomplete or inaccurate records?

• Did the VA overlook secondary conditions?

• Am I struggling to work but not rated for TDIU?

If you answered yes to any of these — its probably time might for a deeper review.

What You Can Do If Your Rating Is Wrong

If you believe your rating is incorrect, you have options:

1. File a Supplemental Claim with new evidence for that particular issue

2. Request a Higher-Level Review of your previous decisions. Usually this process is pretty good.

3. Appeal to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals

4. Identify a CUE for retroactive correction (harder, but powerful!)

5. Get an Independent Medical Opinion (IMO)

6. Use a Professional Service like ours to analyze your full file and identify opportunities

Make It Simple - You Don’t Have to Guess

Many veterans are leaving money and benefits on the table without even knowing it. That’s why we created the VA Decision Audit — a fast, affordable way to uncover missed benefits and rating errors using your own C-File and the latest in secure, AI-powered document review.

In Hindsight: The VA Doesn’t Always Get It Right

Mistakes happen. I know personally how much this can disrupt life, especially when battling serious conditions like cancer. The VA is an amazing resource, but it’s up to us to make sure we have our ducks in a row. The system is complicated. But when your benefits — and your future — are at stake, it’s worth a second look.

Get peace of mind. Get what you earned. Give us a call today.