Helping Alabama Veterans With VA Claims

There are approximately 6 million U.S. veterans who qualify as disabled to some degree, with as many as 30 percent of them having a “service-connected” condition. That said, care from the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) is not always easy to get – legal and procedural red tape can easily confuse and scare disabled veterans away from seeking the care they need. The right attorney can help.

Getting a VA claim approved without the help of an attorney can take extra time, simply because the process is often complex. The Birmingham denied insurance claim attorneys at Goldasich, Vick & Fulk are familiar with the VA’s process for adjudicating claims, and will work hard to get you the benefits you deserve. We are here to help.

Clarifying Eligibility

While it is true that even a veteran with a 0 percent disability rating may be eligible for some care under the aegis of the VA, such as mental health programs, only those with a greater disability rating are eligible for monthly compensation. There are other requirements as well – for example, the quality of your discharge may affect eligibility, depending on the specifics of your situation.

In addition, the VA defines ‘disability’ differently than civilian authorities like the Social Security Administration (SSA), at least for the purposes of benefit assessment. The VA’s definition is “a current physical or mental illness or impairment” demonstrably made worse by your active duty military service. This difference can leave some disabled veterans without care if they are not careful in their application.

A “Service-Connected Condition”

The most important issue when filing a VA claim is being able to establish that your disability is a ‘service-connected’ condition. This is where countless claims wind up denied because the applicants do not present sufficient evidence that their disability is related to their military service – and while a rare few conditions are immediately presumed to be service-connected disabilities (for example, being exposed to Agent Orange), most require evidence in order to link them to the person’s service.

That said, it is sometimes possible to establish a condition as ‘service-connected’ even if it did not manifest until after your discharge. The most common example of this is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Often, it does not appear until some months or years after the inciting events, but it can, with the right evidence, be linked directly to military service – and it can be debilitating.

Do Not Do This Alone

If you are seeking to file a VA claim in Alabama, it can seem simple enough to do on one’s own – but it is all too easy to miss the little details, which can be crucial. A Birmingham denied insurance claim attorney from Goldasich, Vick & Fulk can help ensure your best chance to receive the benefits that can help you get by. Contact our office today to schedule a consultation.

Source:

ensus.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/service-connected-disabilities.html