Advice for Veterans: Disability Claims and Appeals

Jeremy M. Johnson, Client Relations Director with Plachta, Murphy & Associates, P.C., writes: Many veterans with service-related disabilities often have claims either denied or assigned a lower percentage rating than the facts of the case warrant. There is help: Our Attorneys and Government Benefits Specialists will coordinate with a veteran's medical team and navigate the bureaucracy of the VA on your behalf. Our team members will use their experience with the bureaucracy of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as their industry contacts, to navigate the rules and regulations to more effectively advocate on behalf of veterans. We help veterans avoid delays and mistakes, and work to ensure the best appeal possible.

Service Connected Injury
VA regulations require the Department to provide benefits to those who have been injured while in military service. Service Connection is the common term for these benefits. The injury or illness does not have to be caused by combat. To count as a Service Connection-eligible injury, it only needs to be incurred while on active service or under military orders.

Disability Compensation
Compensation benefits are paid monthly. The benefit depends on the level of severity of the disability. The VA assigns the severity a "percentage disabled" number called the disability rating. Amounts paid can range from $123 to $2,673 per month -- or more if very severe conditions exist. This is not an income-based benefit. We encourage any veteran who believes he or she has an injury from their service to apply for disability compensation, especially since there is typically no statute of limitations for these claims.

Vietnam Era
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs has recently established a service connection for Vietnam Veterans with three specific illnesses based on the latest evidence of an association with the herbicides referred to as "Agent Orange." The illnesses are B cell leukemia’s (such as hair cell leukemia), Parkinson's disease, and ischemic heart disease. Veterans who served in Vietnam during the war and who have a "presumed" illness don't have to prove an association between their illnesses and their military service: this simplifies and speeds up the application process for benefits.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Sometimes disabilities are visible to all. But there are also times where pain is hidden deep inside. The stress of combat can linger for years before any problems are apparent. One of the most common diagnoses of combat veterans is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Compensation can be paid for PTSD, but the veteran must take the initiative by filing a claim for benefits.

For more information and eligibility requirements please visit http://pmalawpc.com/va.html or contact Government Benefits Specialist Rick Cross at (616) 458-3994.