Eleven Things You Should Know About Veterans Disability Benefits

bg Many veterans find the VA and the process of filing for veterans disability benefits confusing.  We know that it can be confusing and would like to help clarify the process a little bit.  Here are eleven things you should know about veterans disability benefits.

1.  You must use VA’s forms to file for disability compensation benefits

VA changed its regulations in 2015.  The new regulations require you to use standard forms that are published by VA.  If you do not use the right forms, VA will probably deny your claim until you use the right forms.

2.  If you receive a rating decision from VA, you have one year to file a notice of disagreement

VA often denies veterans applications for disability compensation benefits.  Even when they do not completely deny the claim, they often assign an incorrect rating or the wrong effective date for benefits.  To appeal VA’s rating decision, you need to file a notice of disagreement.

3.  If you have more than one service-connected disability, VA math does not work like regular math

VA has special math that it uses when you have more than one service-connected disability.  While you would think that a 30% rating for a back condition plus a 30% rating for PTSD equals a total rating 60%, VA math will usually cause it to equal 50%.

4.  If you served “boots on the ground” in Vietnam, many conditions like diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, and certain types of cancer are presumed to be caused by your military service

Most veterans who served in Vietnam are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange during their military service.  VA presumes that certain medical conditions are caused by that Agent Orange exposure.

5.  You cannot appeal a remand from VA, but you usually can improve your case

If you appeal VA’s rating decision, one way that you can be successful is by getting your claim remanded by the Board of Veterans Appeals or the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.  A case is usually remanded because VA made some error in your case.  This does not necessarily mean that you win your case.  Many times, it gives you an opportunity to improve your case by presenting additional evidence to VA.

6.  Like Vietnam veterans, veterans who served in the Gulf War are entitled to a presumption that certain diseases were caused by their military service

VA established presumptions that fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and certain other medical conditions are presumed to be connected to a Gulf War veteran’s service.  This presumption means that a Gulf War veterans will not have to prove that these conditions are service-connected.

7.  Veterans with service-connected traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) receive a presumption that certain other medical conditions were caused by the TBI

Secondary conditions are conditions that are related to a service-connected condition.  VA established by rule that certain conditions which develop are presumed to be secondary to a TBI.  Those conditions include depression, seizures, dementia, symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and certain hormone deficiencies.  Whether the presumption applies depends on the condition and the severity of the TBI.

8.  You can get a 100% rating through total disability individual unemployability (TDIU) even if VA math does not add up to 100%

Many veterans have serious service-connected conditions that cause them to be unable to work.  In some situations, these veterans can prove that they are unemployable and qualify for a 100% rating using TDIU.

9.  Veterans can qualify for additional benefits using special monthly compensation

Special monthly compensation is payable in addition to the regular benefit that the veterans would receive.  Among other things, it can be paid for loss of a limb, loss of sight or hearing, and aid and attendance.

10.  You can get a free consultation with a VA accredited attorney to answer your questions about VA benefits

Many people have questions about veterans benefits.  We are happy to provide you with a free consultation so that you can get answers to your questions.

11.  Our VA accredited attorney’s will often represent you for free if you are filing an initial application for benefits

We can represent you on an initial application or an appeal.  If you decide you need help filing an initial application after talking to us, we will often agree to help you file that initial application for free.  Sometimes, our free representation can result in a significant recovery for you.

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Travis Studdard is an attorney who focuses on representing veterans in VA disability compensation claims.  He regularly writes about issues that are important to veterans and their families.

You can subscribe to his Veterans Disability channel on YouTube.

I can't express enough how great it was to work with Perkins Studdard. They are extremely knowledgeable, professional and keep you aware of everything happening with your case. Very friendly from the front office to Mr. Perkins. I would HIGHLY recommend Perkins Studdard!James Strickland
I recommend Travis for an Veteran that has been dealing with constant denial with claims. He also , cover cost for my nexus letter when I ran into financial troubles , that helped me win my case.edwin Cook
I highly recommend Travis Studdard to represent anyone looking to help with VA claims. The VA is very difficult to deal with when attempting to get benefits from service connected injuries, at least that's my experience. Travis and his team knows the VA system and the legal procedures to help you get what you deserve. Travis was kind and passionate with me throughout this process and therefore, I highly recommend this law firm to represent DAV's.Terry Hembree
Such an awesome team. They spoke to me like a person and helped me through every decision with knowledge.Kevin Collett
Highly recommend this firm. Did exactly what they said they were going to and fairly timely. The VA is sometimes extremely difficult to navigate but this took all the leg work away from me and got me the result I thought was fair.Andrew Boone
Amazing staff, very informed along with excellent communication. Within just a few weeks of work, Mr Studdard was able to make things happen that normally take years! Highly recommendJacob Sylvester
Perkins Studdard LLC is the place you need to be if you have a Workers Comp case going on! Mr. Jason Perkins and his staff get the results that you need. They work with you and fight for you.Coming from another lawyer my husband and I were really surprised and appreciated the communication and honesty and understanding throughout the entire process. My husband loves the videos because they held so much information and helped him understand what what was going on. Thank you so much for representing us!!!Deborah Tompkins
I highly recommend Jason Perkins and the Team at Perkins and Studdard. Jason did a wonderful job on my case and actually got me better results than what I was hoping for. He was always so patient with me and made sure I was understanding every process in my case. He never seemed to mind me asking questions and always gave me straightforward answers. My phone calls to him or his staff were promptly answered or returned and everyone was always so helpful, personable, and respectful. He kept me updated on all the details of my case and sent helpful videos for me to review that were very informative.Dru Vaughn
Helped me when I needed after getting hurt at work. Thank you for everything!The Knight Family
I could not have asked for a better lawyer to represent my worker comp. case. Any questions I had during the process was always answered in a timely manner. Mr. Perkins really cared about insuring that I wasn't being taken advantage of during this process and helped us reach a settlement that I feel comfortable with. I would recommend this firm to my parents or children.syndel Laber

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