One of the many benefits of the PACT Act that was signed into law last year was an expansion of the list of presumptive benefits that can entitle a veteran to disability benefits. Nearly two dozen presumptive conditions, including conditions tied to toxic burn pit exposure, mean that more veterans facing certain serious conditions can…
While the VA strives to provide veterans with quality medical care for their injuries and illnesses, the Administration does not always live up to this ideal. Over a ten-year period, recent reporting in Dayton uncovered that the VA paid out nearly $850 million in compensation to settle approximately 4,400 malpractice claims. Every malpractice claim against…
In most situations, once you file a VA disability claim, you will want to continue with that claim and any appeal rights you have until you have exhausted all options available to you. There is good reason to follow this advice in most cases: while you can file as many VA disability claims as you…
The discharge you receive from your branch of service is more than a characterization of your service and more than words on your DD-214. Your discharge can impact your ability to access a slew of veterans benefits and may impact your ability to obtain post-service employment in some sectors. A discharge upgrade or correction may…
The approval of your VA disability claim is more complicated than whether your claim is approved or not. Also significant to your award is the disability rating the VA assigns to you. This number is meant to reflect how significantly your condition impacts your ability to work. The higher your disability rating is, the greater…
When you receive your notice from the VA regarding your claim for VA disability benefits, there are two critical pieces of information you will want to look at and read. The first is whether your claim has been approved or denied. If it has not been approved, then that means that evidence on one of…
Recently, a U.S. veteran from Berkeley, Missouri found themselves in hot legal water after admitting to having defrauded the government out of $106,245 in VA disability benefits. The veteran’s fraud stemmed from false statements and claims he made to the VA about physical limitations he experienced due to a service-related injury. The lie was discovered…
As is true in any profession, some of the doctors and medical providers employed by the VA are consummate professionals and others may not be of the same caliber. This is unfortunate, because in applying for VA disability benefits you are likely to need at least one medical evaluation performed by a VA medical provider….
Even if you realize that a majority of VA disability claims get denied, it can still be disheartening to receive that letter in the mail that officially informs you that the VA will not be paying your claim. That same letter should provide you with some details as to why the VA has denied your…
Veterans of the armed services who served between 1993 and 2010 might recall the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Enacted by then-President Bill Clinton, the policy was an attempt to reduce discrimination in the services directed toward closeted homosexual or bisexual soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. The policy did nothing to prevent openly homosexual…