Need to Apply for Veteran’s Benefits?

If you sustained a physical injury while serving in the armed forces or are suffering from mental impairments as a result of your military service you should apply for benefits through the Veterans Administration (“VA”) as soon as possible. Any veteran who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable can apply for VA benefits. There are two types of monetary compensation benefits available through the VA. The first is service connected disability compensation or veterans disability benefits. In order to qualify for these benefits you must have been diagnosed with a disease or a disability that was caused by or resulted from your military service. Your disability benefit amount will be based on the rating assigned by the VA to your disability. The VA assigns a rating to a veteran’s disability by using a rating table that ranges from 10% to 100%. The higher the disability rating, the more a veteran will receive in monthly disability payments.

The second type of monetary compensation the VA pays is a pension. A veteran can apply for a pension if they have at least 90 days of active duty, including one day during a wartime period and have a family income that falls below the yearly limit that is set by law. You must also be age 65 or older, or totally and permanently disabled. Both veteran’s disability benefits and pension benefits are exempt from federal and state taxes.

Although the VA does offer veterans assistance in filing for these benefits, you as the veteran have the option of choosing a private law firm to assist you in filing your claim. The VA claims process, even at its best, is slow, subject to error, and requires frequent follow up. You are more likely to be successful at getting paid on your claim if you have a VA accredited attorney who can professionally develop your file by providing the proper evidence, organizing your information and maintaining the frequent contacts that are necessary when dealing with the VA. Most private law firms won’t handle filing VA claims at the initial level, as VA law prevents private lawyers from collecting a fee on initial applications. However, Banks Law is here to assist veterans and will develop and submit your initial application for veteran’s benefits to the VA as a “fully developed claim” on a pro bono basis. This means that as a thank you for your service we will file your initial application for VA benefits at no cost to you.

Please contact us today to ask how we can help you with obtaining your VA benefits.