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Posts Tagged ‘Veterans disability’
Wednesday, March 13th, 2013
Disabled veterans suffering from mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may also be likely to suffer from substance abuse and addiction. This is according to reviews of veterans collecting disability benefits in Texas, where it is estimated that one out of every five disabled veterans who passed away between 2003 and 2011 died from drug overdoses.
Most of the drug use among disabled veterans involves prescription medications, often ones prescribed to them during service or after discharge to treat a service-connected disability. Another study shows that binge drinking is another concern among disabled veterans, with rates of alcohol abuse on the rise since 2005.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers several methods of treatment and support for disabled veterans tackling substance abuse issues. Treatment of substance abuse is both a physical and mental process, where the veteran must go through the process of detox and also cease the addictive behaviors that would cause him or her to return to drug use.
In cases where a service-connected disability is leading to medication abuse, doctors will need to evaluate treatment for both the condition and the substance abuse to determine if changes need to be made. In many cases, another mental disorder such as PTSD is diagnosed as the root cause for the veteran’s need for drug and alcohol use. When this disorder is diagnosed as a service-connected disability, the veteran may qualify for veterans’ disability benefits.
Veterans and their families have the right to apply for veterans disability benefits when substance abuse and addiction become a health and safety concern. Applying for benefits can be done at any time after a servicemember has received a discharge other than dishonorable and can prove the disability is connected to military service.
The Law Offices of LaVan & Neidenberg, P.A. can help disabled veterans file for disability benefits and appeal decisions against their case. Contact us today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: mental health disorders, substance abuse, Veterans disability
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013
The numbers are in for veterans’ disability benefits distributed over the past decade, and the costs have more than doubled since 2000.
A recent report from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) shows that in 2000 the government issued $14.8 billion in veterans’ disability benefits, and $39.4 billion in 2011 – a $24.6 billion increase in just 11 years. The VA reports that 3.4 million of the nation’s 22.2 million veterans were disabled during their military service.
Why More Veterans Are Drawing Disability Benefits
As noted by a recent USA Today article, VA officials and others mention several contributing reasons for the increase in veterans’ disability claims:
- Soldiers being sent on multiple deployments.
- More veterans are being made aware of their right to seek disability benefits.
- Ailments associated with Agent Orange and Gulf War syndrome are better defined and identified as conditions for veterans’ disability ratings.
- Service-related disabilities worsen with age and more WWII veterans are reaching this stage in their lives.
- Rule changes for diagnosing and classifying service-connected Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Advances in medical care have also improved diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The list of medical conditions associated with Agent Orange exposure and the toxins in the Gulf War deployment areas has been expanded over the years as more research comes to light, which may allow more veterans’ disability claims to be approved.
Age Can Be a Factor for Those Who Seek Veterans’ Disability Benefits
The younger generation of veterans is more aware of its rights to compensation for disabling conditions developed due to military service. Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans seem to be more likely to seek their benefits thanks to more VA outreach and a diminishing stigma over seeking help for combat injuries.
The older generation of veterans may now be more proactive in seeking veterans’ disability claims due to outreach initiatives designed to inform older veterans of their right to compensation. As veterans increase in age, old “war wounds” that were previously ignored may worsen, prompting them to finally seek care and compensation for their service-connected disabilities.
Veterans’ Disability Benefits Are a Right for All Veterans
Any veteran who has ended their military service with a discharge other than dishonorable may be eligible for veterans’ disability benefits if they have a service-connected disability. Compensation for disabling conditions is dependent on the veterans’ disability rating which assesses the severity of the condition and how it impairs the veteran’s life.
When filing a claim for veterans’ disability benefits, you must prove your military service and show evidence that an injury occurred during this time as a result of your service, or that you were exposed to harmful environmental conditions that later caused a disabling disease.
If you are a disabled veteran and have been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for VA disability benefits, an attorney from the Law Offices of LaVan & Neidenberg, P.A. in South Florida can help. Contact our veterans’ disability firm – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: benefits, Veterans disability
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Thursday, January 10th, 2013
Hearing loss may not seem like a combat-related injury, but thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are learning otherwise. Prolonged exposure to dangerous or repetitive noise levels has been shown to cause hearing issues that qualify as veterans’ disability conditions.
Hearing Loss is a Widespread Problem
A soldier does not have to be deployed to suffer hearing damage. From combat to control tower, hearing damage due to environmental factors such as repetitive noise may be a risk in a number of military roles.
According to Army audiologists via a Raleigh News & Observer report, at least one fourth of veterans who served in the Iraq or Afghanistan areas now suffer some degree of hearing loss. Over time, these veterans’ hearing abilities are expected to worsen naturally with age, which can increase the severity of hearing damage from military service.
Tinnitus – ringing in the ears – and hearing loss are now a common veterans’ disability seen on disability benefit applications. Recent reports from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) found that among the 805,000 veterans who began receiving disability benefits in 2011, close to 148,000 were compensated for this condition.
This topped the list of veterans’ disabilities, with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) next on the list with 42,700 claimants that year.
Preventing Hearing Loss During Active Duty
The military is working on several methods of protecting soldiers’ hearing during active duty. One of the major issues causing hearing damage is not a lack of preventative measures, but rather educating and convincing the soldiers to use the equipment according to an audiologist quoted in the News & Observer article.
Soldiers undergo regular hearing tests and prior to deployment a benchmark test is done to record hearing accuracy. Upon return, the soldier’s hearing is reevaluated to see if any change occurred. Positive tests are conducted again to make sure they are accurate and not just a temporary condition such as fluid in the ear. When a solider is known to have suffered hearing damage, steps are taken to prevent further damage.
Applying for Benefits for Disability
After a diagnosed case of hearing problems related to military service, a veteran may be eligible for veterans’ disability benefits through the VA. The severity of the condition and its impact on a veteran’s life will be determining factors in his or her disability rating. Other factors such as type of assignment and area of deployment may also factor into the disability rating.
If you or a loved one has applied for disability related to hearing loss and received a denial or unfair disability rating, contact the Law Offices of LaVan & Neidenberg, P.A. Our attorneys are here to help veterans with initial disability benefit claims or existing cases. 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: hearing loss, Veterans disability
Posted in Disabled Veterans, Iraq-Afghanistan War, Veterans' Disability | 1 Comment »
Saturday, September 29th, 2012
A partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the American Health Association (AHA) aims to promote awareness of heart disease in women, particularly female veterans and female employees at the VA.
The VA recently sponsored the “VA Goes Red” health expo at its central office to highlight its commitment to raising awareness of this important issue. The event featured several activities such as healthy cooking and fitness, health screenings, and CPR instruction. The veterans’ disability benefit program can help female veterans suffering from heart conditions and other disabling health concerns.
The VA Goes Red campaign is an extension of the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women initiative that is entering its 10th year of helping promote heart health for women. The VA has committed to increasing specialized health services targeted to female veterans and heart disease is one of the many disabilities for which they seek to improve treatment.
With an estimated 15 percent of today’s military forces and 18 percent of the National Guard made up of women, the number of female veterans has risen in the past few decades. An estimated 10 percent of the veteran population is expected to be female veterans by 2020, according to the VA.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veteran’s disability firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: female veterans, Heart Disease, Veterans disability
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, VA News | No Comments »
Friday, August 10th, 2012
Earlier this year, the misdiagnosis or revocation of several cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has led to several investigations of the mental health screening process. An official policy released by the Army Surgeon General’s Office hopes to prevent situations, such as those that occurred at the Madigan Army Medical Center, from taking place again.
According to Veterans News Now, the new policy specifically criticizes the tests used to rule that a servicemember or veteran is faking the symptoms of PTSD. These tests were used at Madigan to revoke or deny hundreds of disability ratings for veterans in need of mental health care.
Another point of scrutiny identified in the policy was the use of written test questions used to determine if a servicemember was faking PTSD symptoms for financial gain. Hundreds of questions were used to make these determinations, and Army officials concluded that a poor score on the test was not always an indication of malingering for benefits, as there was no proof of intent gathered from the results.
After the Madigan investigations, it was found that servicemembers who faked PTSD symptoms were a rare occurrence and that the disabling condition is unfortunately becoming more common. Symptoms of PTSD can include flashbacks, anxiety, nightmares, depression, and emotional instability, which can all cause disability in a veterans’ daily life.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans’ disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: PTSD, Veterans disability, Veterans Mental Health
Posted in General, US Military Legislation, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Thursday, June 14th, 2012
Researchers in Boston recently found evidence that soldiers exposed to a serious bomb blast have an increased risk for degenerative brain disease later on as they make the transition to veteran life. Now, researchers from the University of Rochester in New York are taking that information a step further and are looking at how even a light head injury, such as a mild concussion, could predispose soldiers to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to Stars and Stripes.
Brain scans of 52 combat veterans were analyzed to search for the type of neuronal damage that results from a concussion. Those veterans with more severe damage also had more disabling cases of PTSD. When the nature of their head injuries was discussed, even the veterans with minor head injuries and no visible concussion or mental impairments had a higher risk of PTSD.
These new findings are prompting mental health professionals and neurologists to develop better evaluation and treatment methods for use in the field. The lab tests used to discover the neuron damage is impractical for combat zone use, meaning doctors will need to focus on developing simpler diagnostic tools to help decrease the time a soldier waits before proper head injury treatment.
Many recent veterans’ disability claims have involved disability ratings for mental impairments caused by head trauma. The degree of severity of mental disorders, such as PTSD, is the key to obtaining the full veterans’ disability benefit pay you are entitled to.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: head injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, Veterans disability
Posted in Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Thursday, June 7th, 2012
A harmless swarm of insects in the Iraq desert could cause the spread of infectious diseases among U.S. troops without anyone being aware of the danger. Many of the pathogens carried by the insects in tropical and desert areas, where our soldiers are on duty, can cause serious illness and long-term damage.
Several military medical organizations have been collaborating on a method of analyzing the insect life in an area to determine the presence of pathogens. The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command has spearheaded the development of a new device, the Arthropod Vector Rapid Diagnostic Device (AVRDD).
The AVRDD is a small device for use in the field that can analyze insects, such as mosquitoes, to determine if they’re carrying pathogenic organisms that could be spread to soldiers in that area. The device can detect diseases, such as malaria, West Nile virus, and Valley Fever virus, and provides results in less than 30 minutes. Field tests have been conducted in Thailand, Peru, Indonesia and Kenya and more kits are being developed for additional diseases.
When soldiers contract infectious diseases during deployment, it can be several days before they’re able to receive proper treatment. The longer it takes to treat these diseases, more long-term damage can be done and cause disability later in life. Veterans who were infected with a disease, during deployment due to insect pathogen exposure, may be able to qualify for veterans’ disability benefits if they now suffer serious medical ailments.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: infectious diseases, Veterans disability
Posted in General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 29th, 2012
As more veterans return from the Iraq and Afghanistan areas the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals have seen more cases of chronic lung diseases, according to an article in Veterans Today.
Just a few years into the wars in the Middle East, military officials began noticing an increase in acute respiratory illnesses among troops stationed out in the harsh desert environments. The deserts in Iraq and Afghanistan experience frequent dust and sand storms, which can contain high levels of metal particles that often impair lung defenses.
Toxic environmental hazards are also a prime culprit suspected of causing more cases of disabling respiratory conditions. Many soldiers stationed to patrol near burn pits or industrial areas, such as oil wells, often inhale toxic smoke that can contain carcinogens and other damaging contaminates.
Asthma and constrictive bronchitis are 2 of the most commonly seen conditions that veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars may suffer from when they are evaluated for a disability rating. Veterans who now suffer from lung conditions that cause severe disability may qualify for veterans’ disability benefits, which can help cover the costs of expensive treatments that may be needed.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, Lung Disease, Veterans disability
Posted in General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Thursday, May 24th, 2012
The U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs met on Wednesday, May 23 to review the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) used in the transition of servicemembers from active soldier to veteran when they become disabled.
The review pointed out numerous inconsistencies between the methods of evaluating soldiers for mental disability, and the disability evaluations and ratings that were given to these soldiers. In some cases servicemembers were found to be fit for duty even with a 50% or higher disability rating for mental health conditions. Other records showed a servicemember was denied a disability rating on the grounds of exaggerated symptoms when there was no mental health interview or conclusive testing documented.
Reviews of the data from 24 disability cases showed that nearly 45% of them contained errors. These errors affected the level of benefit pay a veteran was eligible for or led to unnecessary appeals due to erroneous notices. An example of an error cited in the review was the case of a servicemember who suffered from a lung condition and was being treated with steroids and other medication. The servicemember was eligible for 100% disability but an error in his paperwork rated him at 0% disability, making it seem that he was ineligible for veterans’ disability benefits.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Veterans disability, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in General, VA News, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
According to an article on Veterans Today, the latest additions to Agent Orange contaminant areas are military ports in Okinawa, Japan. Logbooks of vessels from the early 1960s that docked in these Okinawan ports have revealed that Agent Orange was secretly transported by merchant marine ships, such as the SS Schuyler Otis Bland, under the mission known as Project AGILE. The chemicals transported by this ship were eventually used in testing in the Panama Canal Zone.
More than 30 disabled Vietnam veterans suffering from serious health conditions consistent with dioxin-exposure have raised concerns about potential Agent Orange contamination. These veterans were stationed at 15 military bases in Okinawa, which has been claimed to still suffer after effects from dioxin use.
Vietnam veterans who were stationed in areas where the chemical herbicide Agent Orange was used are almost always immediately approved for service-connected disability pay when they develop certain disabling medical conditions. Many diseases such as diabetes, cancers, and skin conditions have been linked to exposure to Agent Orange.
Veterans advocates are helping to collect more records and information about Agent Orange use, during the Vietnam War, to determine more areas where veterans may have been exposed. This may help validate claims for disabled Vietnam veterans who have been diagnosed with unexplained health conditions.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Agent Orange, Veterans disability, Vietnam veterans
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, Veterans' Disability, Vietnam veterans | No Comments »
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