Lake City & Columbia 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 Columbia County — including Lake City, Fort White, and the surrounding communities of North Central Florida — 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 Columbia County’s Veteran Community
Lake City is home to the Lake City VA Medical Center, one of the two hospitals of the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, and thousands of veterans across Columbia County and the neighboring rural counties rely on it for their care. Many of those veterans are living with service-connected conditions that have worsened with age, exposures that were never rated, or claims the VA denied years ago.
When Columbia 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 Columbia 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 Lake City VA Medical Center
The Lake City VA Medical Center at 619 South Marion Avenue is one of only two hospitals in the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System — the other is the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville, about forty-five minutes south. Together they handle the inpatient and surgical care for veterans across thirty-three North Florida counties and nineteen counties in South Georgia.
That matters, because surgical and inpatient injuries are where § 1151 claims come from. A procedure that goes wrong at Lake City, a delayed diagnosis, an infection acquired on the ward, a medication error — each can produce an additional disability the VA is obligated to compensate under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.
More than 6,000 veterans live in Columbia County, and because Lake City is a referral hospital, veterans from across North Florida are treated here.
We handle these claims in the system we know best. Our office is in Gainesville, roughly forty-five minutes from the Lake City VA Medical Center, and we have been litigating against this health system for decades.
If the injury occurred within the last two years, we will also pursue a Federal Tort Claim for a lump-sum recovery, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Jacksonville Division. If the injury is older than two years, the Federal Tort Claim is gone — but the § 1151 claim is not.
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 45 minutes from Lake City, straight down US-441 or I-75.
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 Lake City?
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 hurt by care at the Lake City VA. What can I do?
You may have two separate remedies: a Federal Tort Claim for money damages if the injury occurred within the last two years, and a claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for VA disability compensation regardless of when the injury occurred. We handle both.
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