The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is a vast and important federal service that helps provide care and benefits to veterans and their families. Therefore, when injured or wounded during active service, veterans can expect the VA to provide essential care and disability benefits. Unfortunately, the VA benefits process is quite complex, and it is fairly common for Houston residents to confront various issues at every stage, from proving a service-connected disability to knowing the amount of benefits you’ll receive.
For this reason, as well as others, you should consider the help of a Houston veteran’s benefits attorney when filing out the application forms or appealing a denial, if applicable. If you need your veterans benefits, call Herren Law today at (800) 529-7707 for a free consultation. In the meantime, you can learn more about how veteran’s benefits are calculated below.
Who is Eligible for Veteran’s Benefits in Texas?
Armed services members are eligible for veteran’s disability benefits if any of the following three conditions apply:
- You were wounded during active service
- You were injured during active service
- You became ill during active service
Additionally, pre-existing conditions or illnesses that were aggravated during active service are covered. Aside from being wounded, the injuries and/or illness can arise during active service or afterwards, as long as the contributing factors to the injury or illness occurred while you were in military service.
Understanding Disability Ratings
The amount of compensation you may be entitled to is generally related to the severity of the disability that you have. In fact, some of the most important details in your disability application include your medical records. Furthermore, you usually have to take a VA medical examination as well. Based on the evidence you include in your claim, the VA then rates your disability from 0% to 100% in 10% increments (e.g. 10%, 20%, 30% etc).
To understand this rating, it can be helpful to look at how your disability affects your work and daily activities. For example, imagine that you twisted your knee while in service and had surgery. You still have some pain and stiffness later on, and so the VA rates your disability at 10%. On the other hand, imagine that you lost both legs. As this would greatly affect your work and daily activities, your disability rating would be much higher.
VA Schedule of Rating Disabilities
The VA Schedule of Rating Disabilities is an important source that organizes covered disabilities into various categories based on the part of the body that’s impacted. Each level of severity in this Schedule also lists the symptoms you must suffer to be eligible for benefits.
For example, under 4.87 — Diseases of the Ear, if you experienced a loss of auricle (outer ear), there are three disability ratings and associated symptoms:
- Complete loss of both ears — 50%
- Complete loss of one ear — 30%
- Deformity of one ear, with loss of one-third or more of the substance — 10%
Contact Herren Law Today to Determine Your Veteran’s Benefits
The amount of benefits you may receive for your disability depends on the rating that the VA provides. Furthermore, the VA calculates your benefits based on if you have a spouse, child(ren), or dependent parent(s), or if you have a seriously disabled spouse. To better understand your benefits, and for legal aid getting started, call our Houston veteran’s benefits law firm today by dialing (800) 529-7707.
