Disability Benefits for Wounded Warriors
Commenting on the costs of war, President Barack Obama said, “Thousands have been wounded. Some have lost limbs on the battlefield, and others still battle the demons that have followed them home.”
The men and women who serve in the Air Force, Army, Marines, Coast Guard, and Navy put their lives at risk every day to serve our nation. When they are injured due to their military service, the public has a duty to care for their injuries and make them financially whole.
There are federal benefit programs designed to address veterans or others discharged from the military who suffered injuries while serving the nation. These are often significant injuries and illnesses that require many years of treatment. Like others who experience disability, service-related illnesses and injuries can render a former service member unable to find and maintain gainful employment for the long term.
Common injuries that are suffered by military men and women are loss of limbs, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and traumatic brain injury (TBI). These conditions can lead to paralysis, damage to motor skills, and cause vision and memory problems.
There are countless dangers during military service that can significantly impact a veteran’s health for the rest of their lives. Visit a website to know more about how an experienced veterans disability attorney can help you in obtaining VA compensation benefits.
Benefits Through the Department of Veterans Affairs
On March 4, 1865, about a month before the end of the Civil War and his own assassination, President Abraham Lincoln gave his second inaugural address to a crowd of spectators, where he stated the nation’s commitment “to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan.” The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was later established to ensure that, among other benefits, veterans are cared for when they have sustained injuries during military service.
Through the VA, eligible veterans who have been injured while serving in the Armed Forces may be eligible for a range of disability compensation benefits paid on a monthly basis. The amount a veteran is entitled to will depend upon the number of disabling conditions an individual has (they can have multiple at the same time) and to what degree each condition is disabling according to the VA’s schedule of rating disabilities.
The amount of disability compensation that is paid every month also depends on the sum of total rated disabilities (not to exceed 100 percent disability) and the number of dependents that are included on the veteran’s benefit award. Veterans in receipt of 30% or higher disability compensation can add eligible dependents to increase their award.
What Additional Factors Can Influence VA Compensation Benefits?
Additional factors can also influence a VA compensation award, including loss of limbs, needing specially adapted housing, blindness, or other entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC). A SMC is a higher rate of compensation that is paid to Veterans and their spouses, surviving spouses, and parents with certain needs or disabilities.
Veterans who feel they are eligible for VA disability benefits should closely follow all of the Veterans Administration application requirements. The Veterans Administration will request private medical record release forms, supporting treatment records, service records, and other documentation.
If you have sufficient documentation of an existing condition and evidence that the condition was likely incurred during military service, the Veterans Administration will likely require an additional medical examination. If benefits are granted, you will need documentation such as a marriage license and children’s birth certificates to prove eligibility for additional dependent benefits.
Don’t attempt to navigate the maze of federal regulations and red tape alone. Let the professional and helpful legal staff at Berke law take over the fight on your behalf. You have fought long enough.
