The law behind the numbers
VA Law Library
Every time I cite a regulation on this site, that citation is a link — and it brings you here, not to a government website you have to decode on your own. I wrote each rule below out in plain English, with the parts that actually decide claims called out, and a link to the official text for anyone who wants to read it word for word. I am not hiding anything from you. I am translating it.
Ratings & compensation
Eligibility & effective dates
Survivors & burial
Health care & education
Representation & fees
These summaries are written to be understood, not to replace the regulation. Each page links to the current official text so you can confirm every word yourself. The VA makes all final decisions on eligibility and payment — if a rule below looks like it applies to your case, have an accredited agent read your file before you act on it.
Reading it is one thing
Applying it to your file is another.
Knowing that §4.16 exists is not the same as proving your case under it. A VA-accredited claims agent can read your decision letter against these rules and tell you honestly where the error is — or whether there is one.
