Eugene Powell

August 15, 2017

VA Disability News: Service Connection Warranted in Gulf War Veteran’s Lung Cancer

The “image” of those applying for VA Disability tends to fall into two categories: older Veteran servicemembers from around the time of Vietnam, or soldiers just now coming back from time spent in the Middle East. While these two groups make up a significant percentage of VA Disability representation, there is one group of Veterans that too often find themselves left out — those who served during Operation Desert Storm and the first Gulf War conflict. Relatively few VA Disability claims have been approved for the resulting health issues from smoke inhalation and other issues Gulf War Veterans suffered, but our case today shows a victory for Desert Storm Veterans seeking VA Disability. Let’s take a closer look.
March 23, 2016

The Deadly Impact of Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune

When we opened up this new blog, there were a few posts from our old blog that we made sure to hold onto — our series on PTSD and the VA and this post on the impact of the water contamination at Camp Lejeune. We hope you’ll take the time to read it again, in respect to the Marines and their families exposed to the sometimes fatal water contamination at Camp Lejeune.
February 10, 2016

PTSD &  the VA Process, Part 3

2014 marked the centenary of the beginning of World War I. This year, in many parts of the world, commemorative events will be held, marking the 100th anniversary of the start of what was referred to at the time as the Great War. In the history of psychiatry, the First World War is often identified with the first time in history that military Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was officially recognized, then known as “shellshock.” [1] “Shellshock” would undergo a long metamorphosis to emerge in 1980 as “PTSD”. The VA process for service connection for PTSD has travelled a long and often uncertain road. Let’s take a look at how you should present your case to the VA. Part I Part II Part III
February 2, 2016

PTSD & the VA Process, Part 2

Mankind’s earliest literature tells us that a significant proportion of military casualties are psychological, and that witnessing death can leave chronic psychological symptoms, known today as service-connected Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Part I Part II Part III
January 26, 2016

PTSD and the VA Disability Claims Process, Part 1

As early as 440 B.C., the first case of chronic mental symptoms caused by sudden fright in the battlefield is reported. Found in the account of the Battle of Marathon by Herodotus, it involves a brave man suddenly stricken blind after witnessing the death of the man at his side. [1] In modern warfare, the mental toll of the aftermath of war has had many labels, ranging from World War I (“shell shock”); World War II and Korea (“combat fatigue” or “war neurosis”); to Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan [(post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)]. Part I Part II Part III