Applying for Veterans Benefits

Ronkonkoma Veterans Disability Lawyers Helping Veterans With Benefit Applications

Veterans disability benefits are tax-free compensation paid to veterans who have a service-connected disability. Anyone who was hurt or made sick while on active duty military service should be able to obtain benefits, as can veterans who had pre-existing conditions that were made worse by their service. While VA disability benefits are supposed to ensure that those who served in the military are appropriately provided for if their service harmed their health, it can sometimes be complicated to apply for benefits. Ronkonkoma veterans disability lawyers can provide you with comprehensive assistance navigating the bureaucracy in order to get the benefits that you deserve.

What Documents Do You Need in Order to Apply for VA Benefits?

The Veterans Administration has indicated that the best and easiest way to apply for disability benefits is to apply online. You can visit the eBenefits website to submit an application for your benefits.  You can also complete form 21-526EZ, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits, which can be mailed in.  If you are not able to print the form, you can call 1-800-827-1000 to request a copy be mailed to you so you can fill it out.

You will need to be able to provide certain documentation when you complete and submit your application. This includes:

• Discharge or separation papers. You are required to have been honorably discharged or separated from service in order to be eligible to receive disability benefits.
• Records of who your dependents are. This can include a marriage certificate as well as birth certificates for any children that you have. If you have dependents, you may be entitled to receive a larger amount of monthly compensation for your disabilities.
• Medical evidence of your disabling condition. You will need to provide hospital reports and records from your doctor. This medical evidence should demonstrate that your illness or injury is connected to your military service. The medical records you submit should also demonstrate how severe your disabling condition is, as the information from these records will be used to assign your disability rating – which is in turn used to determine your benefits amount.

In some cases, veterans may also obtain disability benefits more quickly if you apply before you are discharged from service. You can utilize pre-discharge programs to get benefits in a timely manner or apply through the Benefits Delivery at Discharge Program.

For many veterans, the most difficult part of getting benefits approved is showing you were harmed while on active duty. However, there are some presumptive conditions assumed to have been caused by military service, and you can document the link between many other medical problems and the selfless service you performed while in the military.

Eligibility Requirements for Disability Benefits 

Veterans disability benefits are available in most situations when you have a service-connected ailment. However, there are certain eligibility requirements that must be met. For example:

• You must have been an active duty member of any branch of the United States military, such as the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps or the Navy.
• You must have been honorably discharged from the military, if you are no longer serving.
• Your injury must have occurred or must have been aggravated while you were performing service for the military. It does not need to have occurred while you were in combat, so injuries sustained on military bases or while performing training exercises can result in an entitlement to benefits.

Veterans may obtain benefits by proving a direct connection to service. For example, if you sustained a physical or mental injury while you were in combat or performing any of your essential duties in the military, this physical or mental injury should entitle you to receive benefits. If you had a condition prior to military service that was exacerbated while you were performing duties while actively serving in the military, you should also be able to receive benefits for the increased severity of your pre-existing condition.

In some cases, you will need to specifically prove that your disability is connected to your service by providing evidence that a particular incident that occurred while you were serving was the cause of your harm.

However, there are also circumstances in which the military presumes a service connection. This can occur if you develop illnesses related to exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides, develop an illness related to exposure to radiation while serving, or if you develop certain conditions related to being a prisoner of war.

An attorney can help you to determine what you must do to demonstrate eligibility. You can receive benefits for total or partial disability, and your disability rating – which specifies the percentage of disability – dictates the amount of benefits you receive.

Contact Our Ronkonkoma Veterans Disability Lawyers Today for a Consultation

If you need assistance with the process of applying for veterans benefits or if you run into any trouble in your application process, including having your claim for benefits denied, you should reach out to Ronkonkoma veterans disability lawyers as soon as possible. Our legal team is committed to helping you get the benefits you earned by fighting for your country, and we will work hard to help you navigate the system and make it work for you. Let Turley Redmond & Rosasco assist you. Contact us online or call us today at 877-693-2529.

3075 Veterans Memorial Highway,
Suite 200
Ronkonkoma, NY, 11779
Phone: 631-582-3700
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