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How Long Should a Nexus Letter Be?

by | Nexus Letter

How Long Should a Nexus Letter Be?

You might be wondering how long a nexus letter should be and what information should be in it.  First let’s review what a nexus letter is. The nexus letter is an expert statement from a doctor about how your medical condition (diagnosis) is connected to your military service.

Getting Expert Assistance.

Getting an expert to assist you will help you determine what to put in the nexus letter and how long it should be. The doctor will review your medical documentation and make a statement that is concise and based on the evidence in your medical file and your service record. This concise explanation will connect your service record, you medical records and your VA claim. It does not need to be longer than necessary to make this connection.  

How to obtain records.

The VA is required to give you the information that they have collected about your medical condition and any prior claims. This is called your Claim File or “C-File”. You can obtain a copy of your C-file. See references below for more information.

 

References

You can start the process of getting your VA records by going to https://www.va.gov/records/

How to get my DoD complete file https://www.va.gov/records/get-military-service-records/

Check status of requests https://www.va.gov/FOIA/Requests.asp

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Nexus Letter F.A.Q.

What needs to be in a nexus letter?

Things that need to be in a nexus letter:

1. Brief - it should be concisely focused on facts and conclusions.

2. Expert opinion - doctor with credentials. Our doctors have specialty board-certification and have prior military service.

3. Records review - connecting your condition to your military service requires review of relevant medical records and service records. The doctor will make a statement in the letter that they had access to, and were able to review these records.

4. Burden of proof - is more likely than not. The medical opinion does not have to be absolute. Remember the burden of proof is more likely than not that the condition was caused by (or aggravated by) military service.

5. Neutral party - the expert opinion of the doctor should remain honest and based on evidence. While not required, a recent examination of the veteran can add weight to the nexus letter.

I don't have any medical evidence that my condition occured in military service, can you still help me?

While it is important in cases for a veteran to submitted medical evidence in support of their claim, there can be other ways to link the condition to military service. This can be through eyewitness sworn statements, combat patrol reports and post-deployment health assessments among other ways.

My claim was denied, now what?

You can strengthen the evidence in your appeal of a denied claim by using a nexus letter. The use of a well qualified expert to assist you in an appeal of your claim can strengthen the connection between your military service and your medical condition. The burden of proof is not insurmountable and your expert is offered as a neutral party reviewer of your claim.

When is it too late to submit a nexus letter?
The Veteran can submit the nexus letter with their initial application for benefits, during the development of the claim are after the claim has been denied. Generally, it is best to submit a nexus letter earlier rather than later.
Why should I want a neutral party statement?
It is important that the VBA (Veteran's Benefit Administration) adjudicator find the medical evidence linking your medical condition to military service believable and this is best done by a neutral party.