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Protected vs Unprotected Ratings When you successfully file a VA benefits claim, you’ll receive either a protected or unprotected rating. A protected VA disability rating means that the VA won’t independently expend any resources to check on your condition, making it much less likely or even impossible for your rating…

What PTSD Looks Like If you have PTSD, your symptoms may significantly affect your ability to work, maintain relationships, and function in everyday life. Some of the most debilitating symptoms of PTSD are:  Reliving: Veterans with PTSD may have troubling and disturbing memories that come back in the form of…

As anyone with a trick knee or a troublesome shoulder knows, musculoskeletal injuries don’t always heal completely. The pain might fade for a while, only to return in spades. In VA disability terms, this is commonly known as a flare-up. The precise cause of flare-ups might not be easy to…

If you receive disability benefits from the VA, you know how important the payments you receive are. When a Veteran qualifies for disability benefits, it means they will have the financial support they need to care for their family and self, even if their disability has made it impossible for…

How The VA Rates Disabilities Whenever a Veteran applies to receive disability benefits from the VA, their claim will either be approved, deferred, or denied.  If your claim has been approved, you will be given a specific disability rating between ten and 100 percent. This rating will grant you a…

Veterans applying for a 100% disability rating typically go through a long, drawn out process of filing for disability and appealing multiple decisions by the VA. Getting to 100% is often the goal for severely injured Veterans, and reaching that goal can be a huge source of relief and comfort.…

Today I spoke with a Veteran who has been a client of our firm for approximately five years. During the first year of representation, he received a backpay award of almost $50,000. However, after reviewing the rating decision, it was clear the VA should have increased his rating and service-connected…

by Jerusha Hancock, Veteran’s Attorney Last month, the H.R. 299 Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act was unanimously approved by the House of Representatives and is now waiting for a vote by the Senate. Currently, only Veterans who can show that they were “boots on ground” in Vietnam or served…

by Stephani Bennett, Attorney at Law and US Air Force Veteran A traumatic brain injury, commonly known as a TBI, typically occurs when a person receives a hit to their head. Immediate symptoms include loss of consciousness, confusion, blurred vision, headache, nausea, fatigue, problems with speech, and concentration difficulty. Typically,…