New York veterans disability lawyer
Veterans Disability Benefits
One of the most honorable things people can do is serve their country in the military. That said, the job of a soldier is not an easy one, and many who have served suffer disabilities as a result. If you were injured while on active duty, you may qualify for disability benefits. The Veterans Administration is a government agency, though, and is prone to bureaucratic difficulties. For this reason, you may find it in your best interests to work with a New York veterans disability lawyer as you seek to obtain benefits.
A New York Veterans Disability Attorney on Who Is Eligible
In order to be eligible for benefits, you must have been on active duty when the disabling condition occurred. You do not need to have been in combat or stationed in a dangerous area. If you were injured on a base in the United States during training exercises, for instance, you may qualify. Your New York disability lawyer will tell you that an additional eligibility requirement is that if you have been released from active duty, your discharge must be something other than dishonorable. In addition, you do not need to have been released recently. Claimants are deemed eligible for disability benefits years after leaving service. This is because some conditions, such as mesothelioma, do not manifest themselves until many years after the fact.
A New York Veterans Disability Attorney on Available Benefits
As of this writing, disability benefits range currently from $127 to more than $3,100 per month. Your New York veterans disability lawyer will provide you with any updates to these figures, and explain how much you are likely to receive. Factors which affect the benefits award include:
• The nature and extent of your disability
• Whether you have a spouse and/or dependents
• If your spouse is seriously disabled
The Veterans Administration will rate your disability on a percentage scale. If your condition ranks you as more than 50% disabled, you may be able to collect retirement along with disability. Your New York veterans disability lawyer can help you through the application and approval process to make sure you include all the necessary materials in your package. The process begins when you fill out VA Form 21-526. Make sure to include records of your medical treatment, as well as those which show dependency.
A New York Veterans Disability Lawyer on Serious Injuries Leading to Disability
As mentioned previously, one factor which determines how much a claimant may receive is how serious the injuries were. A condition that is deemed serious is one which causes significant impediment to participation in normal, everyday activities. Usually a major organ or part of the body has been compromised, such as the loss of one’s sight or hearing. Sadly, many veterans who see combat return with terrible injuries—lost limbs, severe burns, and even paralysis. Your New York veterans disability lawyer will tell you that many soldiers return with multiple conditions. The VA’s rating of severity increases dramatically when this is the case.
Among the more disabling of conditions that veterans often suffer are brain and spinal cord injury. These injuries almost always lead to at least some degree of permanent disability. A veteran who suffers brain damage when shrapnel strikes him across the head, for instance, may lose certain body functions.
Your New York veterans disability lawyer will tell you that one condition that has received much attention in recent years is post-traumatic stress syndrome, or PTSD. While initially many looked upon this condition as dubious in nature, PTSD is now a recognized condition that can have devastating effects upon military personnel once they return from service.
Work with a New York Veterans Disability Attorney
If you provided honorable service to this country in the military and suffered injury as a result, you may be eligible to collect veterans disability. This is not a handout from the government. If you were truly disabled, you earned assistance for all that you sacrificed. Call a New York veterans disability lawyer today: Hermann Law Group, PLLC, 1-877-773-3030. We offer a free case evaluation.