Am I Automatically Entitled to DIC Benefits? In his second Inaugural Address, which he delivered just 41 days prior to his assassination, President Abraham Lincoln vowed “to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.” Today, that commitment is evident in available Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) […]
VA Form 21-4192 in TDIU VA Cases? What is the VA Form 21-4192 in TDIU VA Cases? When Veterans request Total Disability due to Individual Unemployability benefits, they must list former employers on Form 21-8940. These listings automatically generate Form 21-4192. The VA sends these documents to the listed employers. The form requests job-related information, […]
Is Combat-Related PTSD a Physical Injury? In a word, yes. Combat-Related PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a physical injury. Exposure to combat stress erodes the cerebral cortex. This part of the brain controls logical responses. As a result of that shrinkage, the amygdala expands. This part of the brain controls emotional responses. These changes in […]
Legacy and AMA Appeals: A Brief Comparison Do veterans still have same voice in the procedural process of Legacy and AMA Appeals? The Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) took effect in February 2019. In many ways, it is a faster and more efficient system. However, there is no one-size-fits-all application. Your specific claim may or may […]
SMC(t) Criteria and Approval: A BVA Case Study Here, we present a Board of Veteran Appeals case study on SMC(t) Criteria and Approval. Learn how to win your case. From a medical standpoint, Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) are complex. Symptoms of TBI can vary and may present differently amongst people suffering from the injury. Special […]
Three Appeal Options Under the Appeals Modernization Act Has the Appeals Modernization Act improved the claims process for Veterans? Over the years, the VA benefit request process has grown increasingly frustrating for Veterans. Denials are much more common than approvals. H.R. 2288, popularly known as the 2017 Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act, changed this […]
SMC And Serious Disabilities Additional Available Compensation It’s about getting the most out of SMC and serious disabilities. If you have a particularly serious service-related disability, you may be entitled to Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) under the VA’s complicated rating formula. In most cases, SMC benefits are available as a replacement for disability benefits, and […]
Information on obtaining benefits in Non-Presumptive Agent Orange illness claims. In the VA benefits world, over a dozen serious conditions have a presumptive Agent Orange connection. Generally, Veterans with one of these conditions need only show service in the Vietnam theater between 1962 and 1975, a current diagnosis of a listed condition, and at least […]
As we approach the end of 2019 we’ll take a look at the current status of Blue Water Legislation. The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act goes into effect on January 1, 2020. This legislation applies to Vietnam Veterans who served on offshore naval vessels in the Vietnam theater and contracted an Agent Orange-related condition. […]
Five Common Disabilities Tied To Fort McClellan This article details the five common disabilities tied to Fort McClellan. For much of the Cold War period, Agent Orange, a powerful defoliant, was widely used in Vietnam and elsewhere. Before they sprayed this chemical over the jungles of Southeast Asia, many Veterans spent time at Fort McClellan, […]
