17 Jan 2023

Lawmakers Cry Foul Over VA Accessibility Issues

VA Benefits, Veterans Disability Attorney, Veterans Disability Lawyer
Lawmakers Cry Foul Over VA Accessibility Issues This is an update on VA Accessibility. Following an 11-month investigation, the United States Senate Special Commission on Aging said the VA has not made technology accessible to older adults, veterans, and disabled persons. The report says the government has not met the requirements for accessibility set forth by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires the federal government to develop accessibility guidelines for its electronic equipment. Through the investigation, senators uncovered problems throughout the federal government, including with the VA's websites. Their report says federal departments and agencies often…
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27 Dec 2022

VA Disability Benefits for Arthritis in the Hands

VA appeals Attorney, VA Benefits, VA Disability Claims, VA Disability Compensation, Veterans Disability, Veterans Disability Attorney, Veterans Disability Lawyer
Obtaining VA Disability Benefits for Arthritis in the Hands According to the VA and CDC, arthritis affects one in five Americans and is the nation’s leading cause of disability. Over 100 conditions fall under the umbrella of arthritis, including arthritis in the hands, osteoarthritis, and degenerative joint diseases. The percentage of Americans with arthritis is expected to increase to one in four or around 25% by 2040. Not surprisingly, the prevalence of arthritis is higher among veterans than the general population: one in 3 veterans has arthritis. Military service takes a significant toll on a veteran’s body. Many veterans begin…
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22 Dec 2022

PACT Act Claims

VA appeals Attorney, VA Benefits, VA Disability Claims, VA Disability Compensation, Veterans Disability, Veterans Disability Attorney, Veterans Disability Lawyer
Officials Say They are Ready for PACT Act Claims A large veterans advocacy organization says the VA will be ready to process PACT Act claims beginning in 2023, and the organization will be ready to help. “In my mind, there's no more important way to do that than to compensate them, compensate veterans for whatever type of suffering they may have endured because of their service,” Amvets National Executive Director Joe Chenelly remarked in a Veterans Day celebration. “A ton of veterans who we knew were qualified for these new benefits and care have been coming to us, and we…
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20 Dec 2022

Lawsuit Alleges Systemic Discrimination at VA

VA appeals Attorney, VA Benefits, VA Disability Compensation, VA Law, Veterans Disability Attorney, Veterans Disability Lawyer
Lawsuit Alleges Systemic Discrimination at VA A lawsuit filed in November 2022 alleges systemic discrimination at VA. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Conley Monk, Jr., a 74-year-old former Marine. Monk Jr. claims the Veterans Administration systematically discriminated against Black veterans in disability compensation claims. The suit is based partly on a statistical analysis of VA records from 2001 to 2020. A university statistician who performed this analysis concluded that VA notably granted disability compensation to Black veterans at an average rate of 30.3% and White veterans at an average rate of 37.1%. According to the lawsuit, the VA…
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13 Dec 2022

What Disabilities Qualify for VA Benefits

VA Benefits, VA Disability Attorney, VA Disability Compensation, VA Law, Veterans Disability Lawyer
What Disabilities Qualify for VA Benefits? Learning about disabilities and what disabilities qualify for VA benefits. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 25% of Americans are at least partially disabled under specific criteria. A significant number of these disabilities apply to veterans and are related to their time in service. If that is the case, substantial VA Benefits may be available. The financial benefits do not change the fact that the veteran has been disabled. But these benefits make it much easier for these veterans and their families to live their lives. The VA recently overhauled the disability…
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29 Nov 2022

VA Increases Salaries for Nurses

VA Benefits, VA Disability Compensation, Veterans Disability Attorney, Veterans Disability Lawyer
VA Increases Salaries for Nurses Would you like to learn more about an increase in salaries for nurses employed by the VA? Faced with a growing workload of claims related to the recently passed “Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics” (PACT) Act, the Veterans Administration is working to recruit and retain healthcare professionals at a higher rate than before. It is offering higher pay, bigger bonuses, and more benefits to current and potential employees. When Congress was debating the PACT Act, the VA began looking at implementation requirements, according to VA Undersecretary for Human Resources Gina Grosso. “This legislation…
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09 Nov 2022

Nuts and Bolts of a VA Disability Claim

VA Benefits, VA Disability Claims, VA Disability Compensation, Veterans Disability, Veterans Disability Attorney, Veterans Disability Lawyer
Nuts and Bolts of a VA Disability Claim Recent, protracted, and violent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have pushed the official number of veterans with a VA disability claim of at least 70% disability to over two million. That unofficial count, including veterans with less than a 70% disability, may be much higher. This unofficial number also includes veterans who abandon their claims after initial denials and veterans who try to “tough out” their disabilities, often for decades, before they relent and file claims. A VA disability attorney often unlocks advanced options, like TDIU (Total Disability due to Individual Unemployability)…
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18 Oct 2022

VA Changes PACT Act Process

Burn Pits, Presumptive Disease, VA appeals Attorney, VA Benefits, VA Disability Compensation, VA Law, Veterans Disability, Veterans Disability Attorney, Veterans Disability Lawyer, Veterans' Appeals
VA Changes PACT Act Process Before the VA changed the PACT Act process, the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act required veterans who wanted to file claims for compensation for a presumptive illness to wait a couple of years for the legislation to go into effect. Burn pit and other victims would have to wait up to a year before they applied for benefits. Now, the VA has sped up the law's implementation so veterans may file these claims immediately. As of October 1, post-9/11 veterans have one year to enroll in VA health care if they meet one of…
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13 Oct 2022

“Toughing Out” an Illness Can Result in Lost VA Benefits

Uncategorized, VA Benefits, VA Disability Compensation, Veterans Disability, Veterans Disability Attorney, Veterans Disability Lawyer
"Toughing Out" an Illness Can Result in Lost VA Benefits Are you concerned about lost VA Benefits? In October 2022, the Supreme Court will consider an obscure rule that, in many cases, sharply limits VA back pay in disability cases. The case is Arellano v. McDonough and involves a veteran diagnosed with PTSD in 1981 but did not apply for VA disability benefits until 2011. A VA regulation says a veteran can only get back pay for the time of service if they apply for benefits within one year of being discharged. The VA used this legal provision to deny Mr.…
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11 Oct 2022

VA TDIU Requirements – Understanding How to Qualify

Individual Unemployability, Individual Unemployability (IU), VA Benefits, VA Disability Compensation, Veterans Disability Attorney, Veterans Disability Lawyer
VA TDIU Requirements - Understanding How to Qualify What are the basic TDIU Requirements? The basic VA disability rating scheme is pretty straightforward: the VA will compensate disabled veterans at a rate based on their level of disability. A ratings-based compensation means a veteran for whom the VA will pay an 80% disability rating more each month than a veteran for whom the VA gives a 20% rating. The VA bases this scheme on the belief that the level of disability accurately describes the veteran's loss of income, and the compensation the VA gives means to make up for that…
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