Clay County Veterans Attorney
N. Albert Bacharach, Jr. is a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) accredited attorney 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 Clay County — including Lakeside, Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, Fleming Island, Middleburg, and Keystone Heights — 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.
Serving Clay County’s Military Community
Clay County has one of the highest concentrations of veterans of any county in Florida. Camp Blanding Joint Training Center — the primary training base of the Florida National Guard — sits right in Clay County, and thousands of Navy families from Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport have put down roots in Lakeside, Orange Park, and Fleming Island. Green Cove Springs has its own proud naval history, having hosted Lee Field and the postwar Navy “mothball fleet.”
When Clay 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 Clay 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
§ 1151 and Federal Tort Claims at the A.K. Baker VA Clinic
Clay County veterans receive outpatient care at the A.K. Baker VA Clinic at 400 College Drive in Middleburg, part of the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System — the same system that operates the hospitals in Gainesville and Lake City, where surgical and inpatient care is referred. Camp Blanding Joint Training Center sits in the county’s west.
Nearly 28,000 veterans live in Clay County, one of the highest concentrations of any county in Florida. More than 23,000 of them served in the Gulf War era or after September 2001, which makes this one of the youngest veteran populations we serve. A younger population does not mean fewer VA medical injuries. It means different ones — surgical complications, delayed diagnosis, mismanaged mental health care, and injuries that will be compensable for forty or fifty years rather than ten.
When VA care causes a new disability, 38 U.S.C. § 1151 requires the VA to rate and compensate it as though it had been incurred in service. There is no filing deadline. A Federal Tort Claim, which seeks a lump sum instead, must be presented within two years, with suit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Jacksonville Division.
We are in Gainesville, about an hour and fifteen minutes from Orange Park, and we have practiced against this health system for fifty years.
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 an hour from most of Clay County.
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 Clay County?
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.
I was injured while training at Camp Blanding. Can I get VA disability?
Possibly. National Guard and Reserve members may qualify for VA disability compensation for injuries or illnesses incurred or aggravated during active duty for training or, in some cases, inactive duty training. These claims can be more complicated than regular claims, and experienced representation matters.
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