Veterans often experience certain medical conditions more than civilians – a result of their prolonged military service. Due to the physical intensity, veterans often face musculoskeletal conditions, auditory disabilities, and mental health disorders – a common problem among them. The VA has a formula in place to address the VA disability increase. They assign disability rating to veterans based on a thorough assessment of their illness or disability and examination of the evidence submitted in the claim for benefits.
Here are the most common health conditions among the veteran population:
TDIU
TDIU is the short form for Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability. This includes veterans unable to find work due to service-connected disabilities. Veterans are entitled to 100% disability rating if they can establish that their service-connected condition or disability precludes them from obtaining gainful employment. Veterans qualify for a TDIU rating any time their service-connected condition prevents them from obtaining employment, no matter the percentage of the disability rating.
PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a fairly common veterans affair disability – a psychiatric disorder associated with military service. However, it is also the most difficult to prove and involves three elements to the claim.
- The claimant must have the PTSD diagnosis made by either a psychiatrist, a psychologist, by a mental health care practitioner, or a licensed social worker.
- The veteran’s PTSD must have been caused by an in-service traumatic incident or event. Military records and a written statement from a fellow soldier are the best way to corroborate such stressors and are accepted as valid proof for the same.
- The PTSD claim must have a valid link between the in-service incident and the condition/ disability. A medical expert must confirm that the in-service stressor did lead to the claimant’s PTSD.
In-Service Sexual or Physical Assaults
PTSD claims based upon in-service assaults can often not be corroborated. Because of the sensitive nature of sexual assaults, victims often don’t report them. Hence, there’s rarely any documentation or any written proof of the assault. This is why VA has relaxed the evidentiary requirements for corroborating such in-service stressors. Evidence of these include records from respective authorities, rape crisis centers, hospitals, physicians, pregnancy tests or tests for sexually transmitted diseases, fellow service members, family members, or even clergy. This is where good Veteran Consulting services come in handy. They are aware of the evidentiary requirements for such claims and can help veterans get a quicker response in their favor.
Psychiatric Disability
Veterans seeking in-service connection for psychiatric disorders are perhaps the most disadvantaged claimants, as they are often forced to deal with the deep-rooted bureaucracy coupled with their own emotional impairment. The fact that psychiatric disabilities can often not be proved, is a challenge in itself. This is why veterans often seek help from Veteran Consulting services. They understand how such psychiatric claims can be won through persuasiveness and valid medical examination reports.
Tinnitus
This is a low value claim and is always rated at 10%. So, it’s either 10% or nothing! Veterans most at risk of Tinnitus are the ones who experienced loud conditions or lots of gunfire. It involves the sensation of hearing sound even in the absence of any external sound. Hence, veterans with Tinnitus often complain of phantom noises as ringing, buzzing, hissing or humming.
Severe Back Injury
Back disability ratings are based on the length of the veteran’s incapacitating episodes. A 60% disability rating is warranted if he or she suffers from incapacitating episodes of at least 6 weeks during the last 12 months. The incapacitating episodes are periods when the veteran required bed rest – prescribed by a physician.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Brain injuries can range from mild to severe. For veterans, these can sometimes be so extreme that they hinder daily activities. Generally considered an invisible disability, veterans with TBI do not outwardly appear injured, and thus struggle to receive the help they need. However, injuries to the head can be deceptively dangerous and thus allowing Veteran Consulting services to deal with the veterans affair disability claim settlement is the best way to go about it.
Severe Heart Disease
There are a few heart diseases contemplated by the veterans affair disability system in place. These include rheumatic heart disease, valvular heart disease, endocarditis, pericarditis, hypertensive heart disease, and arteriosclerosis, among the notable. Generally these conditions are not in-service incidents. Thus, a claim for the same needs to establish that the first symptoms of the heart disease originated while he or she was still in active service.
Severe Pulmonary Disorders
The list of severe pulmonary disorders considered for VA disability claim includes chronic bronchitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, asbestosis, tuberculosis, and other similar conditions. Disability rating for such pulmonary disorders is measured by the Tiffeneau index ratio. It calculates the volume of air exhaled in the first second. The other method calculates the diffusion capacity of the lung.
Overview
Apart from all that’s already mentioned, veterans affair disability claims also include scars, limitation of range of motion due to problems associated with knee or ankle, lumbosacral or cervical strain, migraines, and even degenerative arthritis. Hence, there are many different forms of disabilities that are considered by the VA and roping in a good Veteran Consulting service provider may well make the difference between you achieving a quick claim settlement or getting denied. Veterans for Veterans LLC helps veterans in all forms of VA disability claim settlements. We fight for your benefits and see to it that you get what you rightfully deserve.
