Disability Benefits for Veterans: Find Out if You’re Eligible!

May 5, 2012 - PRLog -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that more than 60,000 American service personnel have returned with serious injuries or psychological disorders from their Iraq tours since 2003. The VA further estimates that as many as one-third of all who served in Iraq suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which can often warrant disability benefits for veterans. In addition, the percentage of amputees is the highest it’s been since the Civil War. If you’re in need of help in North Carolina, seek a disability attorney at Brent Adams & Associates.

For more information visit us at: http://www.brentadams.com/practice_areas/social-security-disability1.cfm

When a serviceman (or woman) returns home with a serious injury that results in a disability, he or she, along with qualified dependents, may be entitled to Veterans’ Disability Compensation, a provision of the VA intended for those who were wounded or traumatized during active duty service and have been disabled as a result.

Veterans’ Disability Compensation Requirements

In order to qualify for veteran’s compensation for a disability, you need to meet certain requirements. Eligibility is based on the following:

•   your  disability or condition must be the result of your active duty service in the U.S. Armed Forces, or
•   your disability or condition was made worse by your active duty service in the U.S. Armed Forces;
•   your discharge from the armed forces was not dishonorable; and
•   your disability or condition is evidenced through medical records, hospital records, doctors’ records, or any other health-related files.

If you qualify, you must be given a disability rating of at least 10%. The examinations used to determine the ratings are generally conducted by VA doctors. How much you receive monthly depends on both your disability rating and a number of other factors, such as whether or not you have a spouse or other dependents, but can range from several hundred dollars to more than $3,000.

Key Features of Disability Benefits for Veterans

Unlike the Social Security Disability Insurance program, which considers an applicant either totally disabled or not disabled at all, the VA uses disability ratings to determine if and how much compensation a veteran is entitled to. Essentially, partial disability is still compensable, provided you and your injury meet the eligibility requirements.

These ratings are quantified by percentages, and someone with a 60% disability rating will be entitled to more compensation than someone with a 20% disability rating.

You may be eligible for additional compensation, or Special Monthly Compensation (SMC), if you were a prisoner of war, served in the Gulf War, were exposed to radiation during active duty service, or lost the use of your hands, feet, genitalia, eyes, ears, or other limbs and organs.

Contact a North Carolina Disability Attorney

If you or someone you care about has returned from active duty service with a debilitating injury or psychological illness, reach out to a veterans’ advocate who can help navigate you through the steps necessary to get your claim for compensation approved by the VA. Reach out to an attorney from the law offices of Brent Adams & Associates for a free consultation and evaluation of your eligibility for benefits.