If you read our post, My Mental Illness Was Caused By My Military Service – How Do I Prove It for Disability?, then you are aware that mental illness is a valid disability for receiving disability compensation. Once you have proved the service link between your mental disorder and the VA approves your claim, your disability will be rated to … Read More

Millions of veterans have been treated for mental illness so if you are suffering with one, you are not alone. Common mental illnesses that have resulted from serving in the armed forces include depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Of course, this list is non-exclusive. Similar to veterans who receive disability compensation for … Read More

As we discussed in our article, The Five Ways to Establish a Service Connection, one means of establishing a service connection for disability benefits is through a secondary service connection. What is a Secondary Service Connection? A secondary service connection is when your disability symptoms are caused or made worse by a medical illness or injury and that illness or … Read More

In order to receive disability compensation, you must prove that your disability began or was aggravated through your service in the military. There are five ways to establish a service connection: 1. Direct service connection; 2. Service connection through aggravation; 3. Presumptive service connection; 4. Secondary service connection; 5. Service connection for injuries as a result of VA treatment. 1. … Read More

Though the term sounds complex, the presumption of sound condition simply means that “every veteran shall be taken to have been in sound condition when examined, accepted, or enrolled for service,” unless an illness or disorder is denoted on you entrance exam. The presumption of sound condition provides support for disabilities caused by military service, if the disability was not … Read More