Claim shark is the informal term for a company that charges veterans for VA claims help without being accredited to provide it. Federal law restricts preparing, presenting, and prosecuting VA claims to VA-accredited attorneys, claims agents, and representatives of recognized Veterans Service Organizations. Companies operating outside that system, often charging a percentage of backpay, outside the fee rules that govern accredited representation, are what the term describes.

The label is about accreditation and fee structure, not about whether a company is friendly or produces some results. A veteran evaluating any paid claims help can ask two checkable questions: is this person or organization in the VA's public accreditation database, and how does the fee relate to the claim's outcome. Accredited representation is regulated on both points, and representation through a VSO is free.

No individual company is named here, deliberately. The definition describes a structure; the database check applies to anyone.