VA DISABILITY INFORMATION
Members of the United States military place their lives on the line on a regular basis in order to defend this great nation. Unfortunately, many of these veterans sacrifice their physical or mental health during their service. Thousands of military men and women suffer from debilitating injuries and diseases every year as the result of their military service. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was established in order to compensate injured veterans for their service-connected disabilities, ensuring that a veteran does not suffer extreme hardship for the rest of his or her life because of a sacrifice made for the U.S.
WHO CAN FILE FOR VA DISABILITY
The VA receives, reviews, and either accepts or denies claims for VA disabilitycompensation. Veterans who are unable to return to active duty or who have been separated or discharged from the military and who are suffering from a service-connected disability (ies) can file a disability claim with the VA. There are a number of injuries and diseases that the VA recognizes as service-connected disabilities, from serious amputation injuries and paralysis to heart disease and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Anyone who has served in the U.S. military, including the National Guard and Reserve, is eligible to receive some form of VA benefits. Different types of VA disability claimshave different eligibility requirements. Individuals who are filing for disability after being exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War must prove that they were exposed to Agent Orange and that their disease is likely or proven to be caused by the veteran’s exposure to the herbicide. Veterans who are filing a secondary service connection claim must provide proof that their new injury or disease was the consequence of their original service-connected disability. The best way to determine whether or not you are eligible for VA benefits is to visit your local VA office or to speak with a veteran’s disability agent or lawyer.
HOW MUCH COMPENSATION WILL I RECEIVE FROM THE VA?
The amount of monthly compensation awarded for military service-connected disability varies. The amount of compensation you will receive depends on the nature of your injuries and how high the VA rates your disability. Disability ratings are used to determine how disabled you are, from a scale of 0% – 100% in increments of 10%.Physical evaluation boards (PEBs) can also play a part in how the VA compensates you for your disability. Military men and women must be evaluated by a PEB before they are separated or discharged from the military due to their disability. The VA might honor this rating alone, or you could fight to have them evaluate your injuries in addition to the PEB so that you can be sure of maximum compensation.
The key to receiving the VA benefits that you deserve is to educate yourself on the matter and to obtain quality counsel. You can hire a VA disability lawyer to help you through the process. Veterans and their family members are encouraged to explore this veterans’ disability informative website for more information about applicable topics.’