Veterans who served in the U.S. armed forces are eligible for disability benefits from the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) based on several strict requirements. U.S. Veterans who have tried on their own to obtain disability benefits from the VA know only too well how difficult the process can be.

There are very few required deadlines within which the VA must act on your claim — with the result that thousands of Veterans are left hanging for years while their applications for VA benefits wait for a decision.

Help from experienced VA disability attorneys can make the benefits application process go more smoothly and can give you a much better chance of success. Let us take the worry from your shoulders and manage your claim for VA benefits — you will be treated with the compassion and respect you deserve, and your VA benefits claim will receive the attention it deserves.

30 & Counting | A Client Story:

Veterans Serving Veterans:

At the law firm of Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, our lawyers have years of experience helping U.S. Veterans with their applications for service-connected disability benefits. We have helped hundreds of Veterans get access to the VA benefits they deserve through our careful attention to their claims and our refusal to take “no” for an answer.

We will handle all the necessary paperwork, gather all medical records, file any necessary appeals, and represent you every step of the way, including at any hearings that may be required.

Our attorneys are members of the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates and are all accredited by the federal government to handle veterans’ benefits cases.

Basic Requirements to Qualify for VA Disability Benefits

To qualify for VA disability benefits, the Veteran must:

  • Have a current medically diagnosed disability;
  • Have had a disease, injury, or event while serving in the military; and
  • The current disability must be related to the disease, injury, or event from the Veteran’s service time.

This last requirement is called the “service connection,” and it is often the most difficult aspect of qualifying for VA disability benefits. Proving the service connection is especially difficult when there are other possible explanations for the Veteran’s medical condition, when their military service occurred long ago, and when their medical condition is different from the injury or event that occurred during service.

It is important to note that secondary conditions may be considered, as well, when determining the disability benefits a Veteran will receive. If a condition is the result of another condition that occurred during service and that connection can be demonstrated, it will help you build a stronger case. Our team is skilled in collecting the information needed to prove those connections.

Claims Based on Special Circumstances

Once a Veteran’s disability is determined to be service-related, they may be eligible under a number of different programs to receive additional benefits. Those programs include:

  • Individual unemployability
  • Automobile allowance
  • Clothing allowance
  • Prestabilization
  • Hospitalization
  • Convalescence
  • Dental and birth defects

If you feel you qualify for one of these special VA Disability compensation programs, our firm will take all the necessary steps to ensure you receive your benefits.

Myths and Stigma

Unfortunately, many Veterans choose not to file for benefits due to myths and stigma about disabilities. Many don’t feel they have a disability, given everything that term has come to imply. Veterans often underestimate the significance of their injuries or medical conditions because they do not feel they are severe enough to be considered disabilities. But if your service-related condition impacts your ability to support yourself financially, you have every right to receive disability benefits.

The VA Disability Benefits program is intended to support people like you whose conditions make it challenging for them to engage in gainful activity. Our firm is committed to working every day to support and encourage our clients and to help them receive all the benefits they qualify for.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

You may be unaware that members of a Veteran’s family may qualify for benefits, as well. These benefits are paid to qualifying family members who are survivors of:

  • Service members who died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, OR
  • Veterans who died as a result of a service-connected injury or disease, OR
  • Veterans who did not die as a result of a service-connected injury or disease but were totally disabled by a service-connected disability:
    • For at least 10 years before death, OR
    • Since their release from active duty and for at least five years before death, OR
    • For at least one year before death if they were a former prisoner of war and died after Sept. 30, 1999.

Our firm is well prepared to help you file for these benefits, as well.

We Won't Take “NO” for an Answer®

To Schedule an Appointment, Call Us Toll Free at 1.877.873.8208 or Email Us for a Prompt Response.

Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law

Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law
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