West Virginia VA Disability Claims for Agent Orange Exposure

During the Vietnam War, the United States military employed a strategy to destroy heavily vegetated combat areas that provided cover, protection, and food for enemy combatants. This strategy included the use of a dangerous chemical mixture called ‘Agent Orange’. Later, it was discovered that the mixture wasn’t only disastrous to plant life, but also to the many members of the United States military who were exposed to it.

Unfortunately, that’s not where the story ends.

What Are the Effects of Agent Orange Exposure?

Over the years, it was discovered that Agent Orange can cause birth defects in the children of exposed Veterans as well. In 1991, the Agent Orange Act went into effect to review and establish the diseases and birth defects found in the children of exposed Veterans and add them to the list of conditions that can be covered by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). The last review for the Act took place on Oct. 1, 2014 and can be addressed with the assistance of an experienced VA disability attorney.

What a lot of Veterans don’t know, though, is that Agent Orange exposure has also caused numerous, serious birth defects in exposed male Veterans’ children, besides spina bifida, says Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance (COVVHA). These can include:

• Crohn’s disease
• Lupus
• thyroid disease
• chronic kidney disease
• missing parts of limbs
• webbed toes”

If you were exposed to Agent Orange, or suspect you may have been, it is recommended that you contact the lawyers of a trusted law firm, like Jan Dils, to determine if you have a claim. Know that you and your child may be eligible for benefits if you served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 and your child was conceived after your service in the area.

Talk to an Agent Orange Disability Benefits Attorney

Due to the fact that filing a claim with the VA can be complicated and time-consuming, it’s best to work with a well-informed West Virginia Agent Orange benefits lawyer from the start to make sure your disability claim is handled properly.