Ottawa Veterans Disability Lawyer

Ottawa Veterans Disability Lawyer

Applying for Disability Benefits

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers benefits to veterans who suffer from service-connected medical conditions, including physical conditions like chronic illnesses or injury, but also mental health conditions, such as PTSD. However, these benefits are only available to those who go through the disability compensation process, which begins with submitting an application. Veterans can apply for disability compensation anytime after their separation if they begin experiencing symptoms from a service-connected condition, but are generally encouraged to submit their disability claims within one year of separating from the military, as those who do file a claim before this deadline:

• Are often eligible to receive disability back pay; and
• Will automatically have their condition labeled as service-connected unless definitive evidence exists that proves otherwise.

Veterans who submit claims after this one year deadline has passed, on the other hand, will be barred from recovering back pay for the period of time between the date of separation and their receipt of a VA disability rating. Furthermore, the veteran will also be required to provide evidence that his or her condition is service-connected.

It is important to note that if a service member is retiring from the military due to a medical condition, his or her disability claim will automatically be submitted upon separation as part of the Integrated Disability Evaluation System. Otherwise, disabled veterans must apply for disability compensation independently. 

Disability Ratings

Once a veteran has applied for VA disability benefits, he or she will need to undergo a series of examinations to determine the severity of his or her condition, which takes the form of a disability rating. These ratings are expressed as percentages and represent how much a disability reduces a veteran’s overall health and ability to function in day-to-day life. VA disability ratings are very important, as they ultimately determine how much a veteran can collect in a monthly payment. VA disability ratings can also be used to determine eligibility for other important benefits, such as VA healthcare. 

In determining a person’s rating, the VA looks to a number of factors, including:

• • The results of a VA claim exam; 
  • Doctor’s reports and medical test results; and
  • Information provided by other federal agencies. 

In the event that a person suffers from more than one disability, the VA will assign what is referred to as a combined disability rating to that individual. 

Contact a Dedicated Ottawa Veterans Disability Lawyer

If you live in Indiana or Illinois, previously served in the U.S. Armed Forces, and suffer from a service-connected medical condition, you could be eligible for important disability benefits. To find out whether you qualify for disability benefits, please contact dedicated veterans disability lawyer James R. Comerford at The Comerford Law Office, LLC today.