It is imperative to understand that to reopen a VA disability claim, you must have been denied benefits and received a final decision. Reopening a VA disability claim is distinct from appealing a decision, so a different process applies. A decision from the VA becomes final when:
You’ve missed the deadline to appeal the decision or
You have fully exhausted the appeals process for your original decision.
Furthermore, to reopen your VA disability claim, the claim must be one of the following:
Service-connected VA disability compensation,
Dependency indemnity compensation (DIC), or
Burial benefits.
Finally, to be able to reopen a VA disability claim, you must have “new and material” evidence.
It is helpful to note that there is no limit to the amount of time you have to reopen your VA disability claim. You are allowed to reopen your VA claim no matter how much time has passed.