New data from the Department of Defense reveals that the prevalence of military sexual trauma, or MST, has reached new heights. Military sexual trauma is the term the VA uses to describe the effects of sexual violence, abuse or harassment experienced by a military service member during active duty. If you are suffering from the […]
Category: Veterans Disability Benefits
Ways to Increase Your PTSD Rating
Are you wondering why your PTSD rating is so low? If you are unsatisfied with the VA’s decision, it may be possible to increase your PTSD rating. The VA ratings for PTSD—and all mental health claims—are set at the following percentage increments: 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100%. But the reality is that far […]
Is PTSD a Disability under VA Compensation and Social Security?
Yes—if you are a veteran diagnosed with PTSD (or are living with symptoms and suspect you have the condition) you may qualify for Veterans Affairs (VA) disability benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, or both. Each program’s eligibility criteria are different and must be met. Basically, Getting Maximum Disability Benefits for PTSD The inherent […]
Understanding Your PTSD Rating (Update 2023)
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often rated at a level that fails to reflect your actual disabilities and extent or stage of impairment. These and other issues make it very hard for you to get a handle on your PTSD rating. A prevalent disability among U.S. service members, PTSD claims are hard fought battles for […]
Top 5 Questions about a TDIU Claim
As veterans’ benefits lawyers, we represent TDIU claims on behalf of disabled veterans who cannot work. Many military men and women go overseas with hopes and plans for their futures and careers. Yet too many come home vastly changed. Due to injuries, exposures and diseases sustained during active service, countless veterans return home with no […]
What Does VA Unemployability Mean?
Are you a military veteran who can no longer earn a decent living, specifically because a service-connected disability keeps you from doing so? You may qualify for VA unemployability benefits. These benefits are available under a unique rating where the VA pays 100% of total disability compensation to a veteran who can’t work, and whose […]
Camp Lejeune Presumptive Conditions – VA Water Contamination Claims
With recent changes to the law, here is what you need to know about Camp Lejeune presumptive conditions – from fast track disability decisions to appeals. VA currently offers two separate benefits to all qualifying veterans, and certain family members, who served at Camp Lejeune for no less than 30 days (cumulative) from 1953 through […]
Top 5 Questions about Sleep Apnea VA Claims
Among the most common claims for which we help veterans in their fight for disability benefits are sleep apnea VA claims. As reported by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) in the 2017 Annual Benefits Report, the three forms of sleep apnea (SA)—obstructive, central, and mixed—lead the way in service-connected respiratory disabilities. VBA’s statistics show that […]
How Is Sleep Apnea a Service-Connected Disability?
If you are a veteran diagnosed with sleep apnea, you may be eligible for VA disability benefits. You may also be one of thousands of servicemen and women frustrated with their service-connected sleep apnea claims and the VA benefits system. And it’s no wonder, as these claims are often denied by VA. Service connection can […]
New VA Appeals System Begins! Veterans Have New Options to Appeal
This week the Department of Veterans Affairs launches its new, revamped appeals process for veterans disputing their disability claims decisions. The new law is called the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017; or in shortened form, Appeals Modernization Act (AMA). Passed into law in 2017, the Act intends to reform the unacceptable wait […]