Common Disabilities Claimed For VA Benefits | VetLaw

The most common VA disability benefits claims include injuries and illnesses acquired over time, as well as those sustained from a single incident.

Summary

• Veterans can receive compensation for common disabilities including physical and mental health conditions.
• Service-related disabilities can interfere with job performance, financial stability, and quality of life, among other things.
• Compensation for service-connected injuries or illnesses is administered based on a veteran’s individual disability rating.

Understanding Eligibility: Most Common VA Disability Claims and Your Rights

Veterans served in our country’s armed forces knowing that their service came with a high risk of severe injury and disability. The United States honors the sacrifices made by veterans and provides VA disability benefits to help cover the costs generated by the lingering effects of injuries suffered during military service.

Common disabilities include physical and mental conditions. Some may overestimate the amount of injury one has to sustain to be eligible for VA disability benefits. It turns out that many veterans do not realize that their injuries are actually some of the most common that VA claims are successfully filed for. 

If you are in doubt that your service-related injuries could be eligible for VA disability benefits consider contacting an accredited veterans disability lawyer at VetLaw for a consultation on your claim. Give us a call at (855) 912-2948 or fill out an online contact form to schedule a free case review.

Hearing Disabilities Like Tinnitus and Hearing Loss

One of the most common forms of disability that veterans file VA claims for is hearing-related disabilities such as tinnitus and hearing loss. Tinnitus is a condition where someone hears sounds like ringing, whining, buzzing, roaring, and other types of sounds innately without them coming from an external source. 

Hearing loss can encompass several levels of hearing impairment. Someone may hear things but muffled, have difficulty hearing over certain sounds, or have little hearing at all. These disabilities are permanent issues that cannot outright be cured but the symptoms can be managed.

Loud Work Environments Make Hearing Loss One of the Most Common Disabilities Among Vets

A wide variety of positions in the military involving both combat and support can expose personnel to extremely high decibel sounds that can cause long-term damage to the ear. Weapon discharges and ordinance detonation are some obvious sources of high-decibel sounds that damage hearing.

Aircraft and some machinery encountered in non-combat roles can also create exceptionally loud and sustained sounds of equal harm. Hearing disabilities like tinnitus and hearing loss are considered presumptive service-related conditions by the VA.

That means that veterans filing VA disability claims for these common disabilities don’t have to connect them to a cause during their service. Veterans seeking disability benefits for these conditions will also have to undergo a hearing test to determine their eligibility.

Severe Scarring

Many injuries sustained during military service can leave prominent and painful scars, making it one of the most common disabilities claimed for VA benefits. The VA provides disability benefits for scarring since it can have significant effects aside from distinguishing past injury sites. 

Some scarring can be prominent on a person and cause disfigurement. This can impact their appearance and consequently their mental state. In some circumstances, severe scarring can contribute to recurring health issues and complications such as mobility problems, or organ function impairment. 

Scar Tissue Can Develop Following Traumatic Injuries or Medical Treatment

There are countless ways military personnel may sustain scars during or related to their active duty service. Many scar disability claims are related to acute in-services injuries, such as:

• Lacerations from sharp objects including tools, materials, vehicles
• Penetrating injuries from bullets, debris, or equipment
• Burns from harsh chemicals, radiation, electrical wires, fire or hot equipment

Additionally, severe scarring can develop around surgical sites.

Veterans may undergo surgical operations to repair internal organ damage, reset broken bones, remove cancerous cells or address other medical conditions connected to their military service. As the body heals from the surgical repair, collagen works to re-stitch the skin, which can result in severe scarring.

Migraines and Severe Headaches

Headaches are normal but many veterans report suffering from migraines so severe they leave them unable to function. During a migraine attack, any sensory input feels amplified, often to the point of pain.

Many veterans become extremely sensitive to light, sound, and smell, which can make it difficult or impossible to complete even simple tasks while migraine symptoms are active.

Higher Migraine Rates Among Vets May Be Linked to In-Service Head Injuries

Veterans report migraines at a higher frequency than the general population. Many suffer greatly from this type of disability. This prevalence of migraines is attributed to mental trauma and traumatic head injuries sustained by many veterans. Studies suggest that sustaining repeated head traumas increases a veteran’s risk of migraine headaches.

VA disability benefits are available for veterans suffering from migraines. The amount of VA benefits available for migraines depends on the frequency and severity of the headaches.

Generally, a veteran’s migraines must prostrating – intense enough that they force you to lay down to cope- and happen at least every two months in order to earn a compensable VA disability rating.

Limitation of Flexion in the Knee

One of the most integral joints of the human body is the knee. Its load-bearing function often leads to increased strain on the ligaments and cartilage. Many veterans deal with lingering issues with their knees due to the immense physical demands of many military roles. 

Military personnel may spend months or years of their careers running, climbing, drilling, kicking, lifting, and jumping, with their knees absorbing the impact. Over time, this level of strain can damage the joints. An acute injury to the knee can also cause a limitation of flexion response.

Limitation of flexion concerning the knees refers to a reduction of the knee joint’s ability to allow the leg a full range of motion. This condition involves the knee having difficulty with leg movement towards the body.

Consequently, mobility is significantly hampered and knee pain can also be experienced making veterans suffering from this condition eligible for disability benefits. 

Sciatic Nerve Paralysis

The sciatic nerve is a long nerve that runs down the length of the back of the leg. Strain, long periods of sitting, and physical trauma can damage the nerve by compressing it. Typically, sciatica is actually the result of an injury to the spine or hip, or a herniated disc.

Most veterans only experience sciatica in one side of their body at a time. Pain, numbness, weakness, and partial paralysis of the leg due to damage or pressure on the sciatic nerve is known as sciatica.

In severe cases, sciatica can also cause drop foot, incontinence, and residual chronic pain. Sciatica is generally treatable and often curable with the right medical care. The diagnosis rate of this condition is high among veterans. It is also eligible for VA disability benefits.

Veteran Psychological Disorders Are Common Disabilities Related to Military Service

In addition to physical disabilities that veterans may develop as a result of their service, psychological disorders also may qualify for disability benefits from the VA. Despite these mental injuries being less visible, they are no less debilitating and deserve adequate benefits through a VA disability claim. 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Many veterans have experienced intense and traumatic events during their service that may lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This mental disorder is characterized by its significant effects on a person’s emotional state as they struggle to process extreme and traumatizing experiences.

Those with PTSD can have almost every aspect of their life affected by their symptoms. PTSD symptoms can range from flashbacks, sleep problems, severe stress, emotional turbulence, and even self-destructive behavior. 

Clinical Depression

Some veterans may face persistent and elevated feelings of unhappiness which can affect their day-to-day lives. Depression is the name for this heightened and sustained disruptive state of sorrow.

Many veterans can struggle with depression and fail to seek treatment due to the effects of this disorder and disregard it as an ordinary period of sadness or may avoid dealing with it due to fear of the judgment of others. 

Most find significant improvements to their lives they didn’t think possible with treatment for their depression. VA disability benefits can help offset the cost of treatment and help veterans seek the assistance they need for depression. Treatment can take the form of medication and therapy. 

Anxiety Disorder

Veterans suffering from anxiety disorder can suffer from symptoms such as heightened fear, paranoia, difficulty concentrating, and a persistent sense of restlessness and tension. The potential sources of anxiety in veterans are broad and plentiful.

Many military personnel experience anxiety surrounding safety issues or a lack of routine post-discharge. Other veterans develop health-related anxiety after dealing with a severe injury or chronic illness connected to their military service.

Like depression, vets might disregard anxiety disorder as a normal period of anxiety. However, when the symptoms are persistent and severe enough to interfere with one’s life then veterans should not doubt their condition.

At that point, it’s time to seek treatment. It is also common for anxiety to occur in conjunction with other mental health issues. Like depression, anxiety disorder may occur with PTSD.

Face the VA With VetLaw by Your Side

While these are the most common disabilities claimed for VA benefits, the full VA disability conditions list is much more extensive. The accredited veteran disability claims lawyers of VetLaw have a long history of successfully assisting veterans and their families in seeking the benefits they deserve for a variety of conditions.

We are extremely familiar with the eligibility requirements for disability benefits and how to help veterans wade through the VA system. Unfortunately, the bureaucratic difficulties encountered by veterans can impede and sometimes even lead to the denial of legitimate veteran disability claims.

At VetLaw, we won’t let this deter us. Our team has also appealed VA decisions to ensure that our clients were properly compensated. With our VA disability claims attorneys advocating for you, you can trust that your case is receiving the attention it deserves.

Contact VetLaw to Discuss Common Disabilities Claimed for VA Benefits and How to File a Claim Today

Even if your health condition is among the most common disabilities claimed for VA benefits, that does not mean that the VA will make it easy for you. That’s why you need the experienced, diligent, and transparent team of veterans disability appeals attorneys from VetLaw to handle your case.

If you or a loved one are struggling to get the necessary assistance you are owed from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs after having a claim denied then consider contacting VetLaw about a free consultation on your case.

You can reach us at (855) 912-2948 or through our online contact form. This is your opportunity to check out our team, hear more about our legal services, and get a complimentary case review from an expert VA disability benefits denial attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I collect VA benefits for a health condition caused by my service-related disability?

Yes, you may be able to secure additional disability benefits in this situation. If your service-connected disability has resulted in another medical issue, you may have a valid claim for a Secondary Condition.

Common disabilities claimed for VA benefits, like depression, often entail further health consequences for veterans.

Do I need to see a VA medical provider to secure veterans disability benefits?

You should be prepared for the VA to request a C&P exam, also known as a Compensation and Pension exam.

Even if you are filing for benefits for a presumptive condition or one of the more common disabilities, the VA may want additional information about your disability and its service connection before assigning you a disability rating and issuing benefits.

What is the deadline to file a veterans disability benefits claim?

You can initiate your initial claim any time after your service, even if it’s decades later. It’s not uncommon for a service-related disability to take time to manifest, hence the lack of a deadline.