Disability Compensation for Mental Disabilities Other Than PTSD
There are many unique issues that a veteran and their veteran disability lawyer must be aware of when going through the VA claims process for a case relating to a mental disorder. First, a veteran must be sure to have their mental disability professionally diagnosed. Once diagnosed, they will need to show that the disability is service-connected in one of five different ways.
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What Are the 5 Ways to Service Connect a Mental Disorder During a VA Claims Process?
- The mental disorder that the veteran is suffering from was first evidenced during service.
- The veteran had a preexisting mental disorder that was aggravated by service.
- The mental disorder in question developed soon after a service-connected physical disorder was incurred.
- The mental disorder was diagnosed within a year after service ended. This period of time is extended in any case involving a prisoner of war.
- The mental disorder resulted from an injury that occurred while the veteran was being administered VA medical care.
Because of all the unique issues related to mental disorders, these disability claims are oftentimes very challenging for both the veteran and their disability lawyer. The first thing a veteran must do is figure out what mental disorder they are seeking benefits for. This can be a very difficult thing to have properly diagnosed.
But remember, a claim cannot be denied just because you have applied for the wrong mental disorder. As long as some of the symptoms overlap, the claim can be applied to the correct disorder once it has been diagnosed. You may, however, be required to provide new evidence in this case.
Another obstacle that many veterans will face is the fact that they may suffer from more than one mental disorder. In these cases, a veteran can receive a separate service connection for each of the different disorders they suffer from. However, only one disability rating will be assigned to cover any disorders with overlapping symptoms that a veteran has applied for during the VA claims process.
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