Orange County Veterans Attorney
Orange County veterans are treated at the Orlando VA Medical Center at Lake Nona and their claims are decided by the St. Petersburg / Bay Pines Regional Office. Central Florida’s veteran population has grown faster than almost anywhere in the state, and claim backlogs have grown with it. If the VA denied your claim or assigned a rating that does not match your condition, you have one year from the date on the decision letter to file a supplemental claim, request a higher-level review, or appeal to the Board.
N. Albert Bacharach, Jr. is a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) accredited attorney (Accreditation No. 14363; VA POA Code 4EQ) with fifty years of experience fighting for veterans, the disabled, and their families. He filed his first appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (formerly the U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals) in 1990, the court’s first full year of operation, and has been winning cases there for over 34 years. We represent veterans throughout Orange County — including Orlando, Winter Park, Apopka, Ocoee, Winter Garden, and Maitland — in VA disability claims and appeals, PACT Act toxic-exposure claims, VA medical malpractice cases, and Social Security disability claims — at every level, from the initial claim through the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
VA Resources for Orange County Veterans
VA care in Orange County. The Orlando VA Medical Center at Lake Nona (13800 Veterans Way, Orlando, FL 32827; 407-631-1000) is the hospital for Central Florida. The Lake Baldwin VA Clinic (5201 Raymond Street, Orlando, FL 32803; 407-646-5500) serves Winter Park and central Orlando. There is no VA clinic in Apopka.
Orange County Veterans Services. 2100 E. Michigan Street, Orlando, FL 32806; 407-836-8990, walk-ins accepted; with satellite desks at the Lake Baldwin clinic and inside the Orlando VA Medical Center (Room H-G101; 407-631-1728).
Vet Center. Orlando Vet Center, 5575 S. Semoran Boulevard, Suite 30, Orlando, FL 32822; 407-857-2800.
Distance to our office. About 115 miles, two hours.
Orange County question. I’ve been rated 70 percent for PTSD for years. Is there anything left to claim? Often, yes. Sleep apnea, migraines, gastrointestinal conditions and hypertension are frequently secondary to PTSD or to the medications used to treat it, and each is rated separately. A 70 percent veteran who cannot hold a job because of the PTSD may also qualify for TDIU, paid at the 100 percent rate.
Claims for every Florida county are decided by the VA Regional Office in St. Petersburg (9500 Bay Pines Boulevard, St. Petersburg, FL 33744; 800-827-1000). You do not need to travel to Gainesville to hire us or to work with us: the consultation, the record review and nearly all of the work is done by phone, e-mail and video, and Board hearings can be held by video from your home.
Serving Orange County’s Veteran Community
Orange County is home to one of the largest veteran populations in Central Florida. The Orlando VA Medical Center at Lake Nona — one of the newest VA hospitals in the country — anchors the Orlando VA Healthcare System, and veterans of every era, from Vietnam through Iraq and Afghanistan, have settled throughout the county. Many are dealing with service-connected conditions that have worsened with age, exposures that were never rated, or claims the VA denied years ago.
When Orange County veterans are denied the benefits they earned — or receive a rating that is too low — we fight to make the VA get it right.
How We Help Orange County Veterans
- Claims for higher disability ratings
- Claims for earlier effective dates
- Clear and Unmistakable Error (CUE) motions
- Appeals to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA)
- Appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC)
- Appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- TDIU — Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability
- PTSD and Military Sexual Trauma (MST) claims
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) claims
- Agent Orange, burn pit, and PACT Act toxic exposure claims
- Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses and children
- Social Security Disability (SSDI) and SSI claims
VA Medical Malpractice at the Orlando VA Medical Center
Most Orange County veterans receive their VA care through the Orlando VA Healthcare System, including the Orlando VA Medical Center at Lake Nona and its community clinics. Veterans injured by negligent care at a VA facility deserve accountability, and we pursue it in two ways.
Veterans injured by negligent medical care at a VA facility have two separate remedies — a Federal Tort Claim for a lump-sum recovery, which must be presented within two years, and a § 1151 claim for lifetime monthly compensation, which has no deadline at all. Most veterans have never heard of an 1151 claim. Ask us about it.
How VA medical malpractice claims work →
You Don’t Need a Lawyer That’s Right Around the Corner — You Need the Right Lawyer
VA disability claims are federal claims decided on the written record, so your attorney’s location matters far less than your attorney’s experience. Florida veterans’ claims are processed through the St. Petersburg VA Regional Office, and as a VA-accredited attorney Mr. Bacharach is authorized to represent veterans before all 56 VA Regional Offices nationwide, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and the federal appellate courts.
Most matters can be handled entirely by phone, Zoom, text, email, or snail mail; and when a hands on meeting is needed, our Gainesville office is about two hours from Orlando, straight down the Florida Turnpike or I-75 and I-4.
No Fee Unless You Win
Our evaluation of your VA disability claim is free. We work on a contingency basis for VA disability matters — no attorney’s fee unless we win. There is no risk and no obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a veterans attorney located in Orlando?
No. VA disability claims are federal claims, and VA-accredited attorneys can represent veterans anywhere in the country. What matters is experience with the VA system and the courts that review it — not a local street address.
My condition has gotten worse since I was rated. Can my rating be increased?
Yes. If a service-connected condition has worsened, you can file for an increased rating. A higher rating means higher monthly compensation and may qualify you for additional benefits such as TDIU or Special Monthly Compensation (SMC).
My VA claim was denied. What are my options?
You may seek higher-level review, file a supplemental claim with new evidence, or appeal to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals — and from there to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the Federal Circuit. Deadlines apply, so don’t wait to get advice.
What will a consultation cost me?
Nothing. Our evaluation of your VA disability claim is free, and for VA disability matters there is no attorney’s fee unless you win.
Ready for your Free Consultation?
Click on Request a Free Consultation
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Phone or Text: (352) 378-9859
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Email: Prospects@nabjr.com
Office: 4128 NW 13th Street, Gainesville, Florida 32609
Hours: Mon-Fri, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM