Ocala & Marion 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 Marion County — including Ocala, Silver Springs, Belleview, Dunnellon, Marion Oaks, and Fort McCoy — 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 Marion County’s Veteran Community
Marion County is home to one of the largest veteran populations in Florida. Tens of thousands of veterans — from the Vietnam era through the Gulf War and beyond — live in Ocala and the retirement communities that surround it, and many are dealing with service-connected conditions that have worsened with age, exposures that were never rated, or claims the VA denied decades ago.
When Marion 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 Marion 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 Ocala VA Clinics
Marion County is served by two clinics of the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System: the Ocala VA Clinic at 4826 SW 49th Road and the Ocala West VA Clinic at 3307 SW 26th Avenue. Both refer inpatient and surgical care north to the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville, about forty minutes up I-75 — and Gainesville is where our office has been for fifty years.
Nearly 35,000 veterans live in Marion County, and more than 15,000 of them served during the Vietnam era. That is the largest Vietnam-era population of any county in this health system, which means Agent Orange presumptives, and it means a generation now in its seventies undergoing the cardiac, orthopedic and cancer care where VA surgical injuries arise.
When VA care produces a new disability rather than treating one, 38 U.S.C. § 1151 requires the VA to compensate that disability as though it were service-connected, at the same rates, for life. Proving negligence is not always necessary: under 38 C.F.R. § 3.361(d)(2), it is enough that the outcome was an event a reasonable provider would not have considered an ordinary risk of the treatment.
There is no deadline on a § 1151 claim. A Federal Tort Claim must be presented to the VA within two years, with suit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Ocala Division.
We represent veterans in Ocala, Belleview, Dunnellon, and throughout Marion County.
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 Ocala, straight up I-75 or US-441.
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 Ocala?
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 retired. 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
or
Phone or Text: (352) 378-9859
or
Email: Prospects@nabjr.com
Office: 4128 NW 13th Street, Gainesville, Florida 32609
Hours: Mon-Fri, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM