How do I qualify for VA disability benefits?
To receive benefits, you need to show the VA two major things:
- Medical evidence describing your health problems
- Military records showing that your health conditions are connected to your service
What do I receive with veterans’ disability benefits?
VA benefits can provide these forms of compensation:
- Health-care coverage
- Disability checks that can total more than $3,000 a month
- Job and career counseling
My VA disability rating doesn’t truly reflect all my health problems. What can I do?
The VA assigns ratings to your service-connected health problems based on how much they affect your functioning. The amount you receive is tied to your rating. A 100 percent rating brings the maximum compensation.
But it gets complicated. If you’re a veteran, you know about VA math. You get a rating for each impairment you have. But the total isn’t based on simple addition. It’s a sliding scale.
If your disability rating is lower than it should be, you can appeal for something better.
This is where the attorneys at HNB Law help.
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How do I appeal my VA disability rating?
You can take your appeal through several levels:
- File your appeal with the VA Regional Office (RO)
- Take it to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA)
- Take it to the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC)
Having a lawyer who knows the VA system can make this process easier for you.
To find out what it will take to appeal your rating, you can get the lawyers at HNB to evaluate your case for free.
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What if my service-connected impairments prevent me from working?
If you can’t work because of health problems you acquired while serving in the armed forces, you can seek Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) status from the VA.
This status lets you seek compensation at the 100 percent level even if your medical conditions don’t add up to a 100 percent rating on their own.
You have to show the VA that your health problems, no matter what they are, prevent you from holding on to “substantially gainful employment.”
HNB law firm can help.
Can I receive VA disability benefits and Social Security Disability benefits?
Yes. If you can’t work, you can qualify for Social Security Disability benefits in addition to veterans’ disability.
But you won’t automatically qualify for Social Security Disability because you qualify for the VA’s Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
Social Security will look at your records from the VA, and the VA will consider your Social Security records. But winning Social Security Disability benefits is complicated. Most people get denied.
HNB lawyers, however, can help you with both kinds of benefits. Our way of thanking you for your service is helping you get the maximum compensation available to you.
Thoughts and feelings about disturbing experiences I had in the armed forces are impacting my life. Can I get help?
Absolutely. You may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is an extremely common condition that qualifies for veterans’ disability benefits.
Listen, we know that when you were in the military, it wasn’t easy to talk about mental health. But you should not be ashamed. PTSD is real. It can be treated. And you can get health care and financial support to deal with it.
Don’t hesitate to seek benefits.
I suffered a sexual attack while I was serving. Does the VA have help for me?
Yes. The VA has special considerations for people who experienced military sexual trauma (MST).
You can receive veterans’ disability benefits for mental health and any other health problems resulting from your trauma.
And recognizing that many sexual assaults don’t get initially reported to the military, you can use evidence from outside sources, such as doctors, rape crisis centers, mental health counseling services and more.
Fighting for disability compensation can be a heavy burden. HNB attorneys take over the fight—and fight to make sure you’re treated with respect.
Can I still get veterans’ disability benefits for exposure to Agent Orange?
Yes. Decades after the Vietnam War, health problems still appear in American soldiers who served in that period and were exposed to this toxic herbicide used to clear forests.
You can receive disability compensation from the VA for your medical conditions tied to Agent Orange.
In fact, if you served in the right places and developed certain conditions, the VA makes it easier for you to qualify for benefits because of Agent Orange.
A lawyer from HNB can guide you through the process.
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Can I get veterans’ disability benefits for exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune?
Yes. Up until the 1980s, the water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was contaminated with dangerous chemicals. You can receive compensation for health problems you’re experiencing as a result of exposure to those chemicals.
If you served there at the right times and developed certain medical conditions, the VA may give you the benefit of the doubt that your problems were caused by the water.
An experienced veterans’ disability lawyer can help you show the VA the right information.
How does a lawyer help me when I need veterans’ disability benefits?
At HNB, our attorneys take care of all these tasks and more:
- Advising you on getting medical treatment you need to prove eligibility
- Finding doctors who understand how to fill out the VA’s Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ)
- Ordering a medical review of your case file
- Appealing for a higher disability rating from the VA
- Appealing denied claims
You’re already going through a lot. Having a lawyer means you have support as you go through this process.
How does my veterans’ disability lawyer get paid?
Your lawyer gets paid on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay until you’re awarded benefits. And then the VA will withhold your lawyer’s fee from a percentage of your benefits.
