Veterans Affairs

January 11, 2023

DISCHARGE UPGRADES: A Path to Honor and Earned Benefits

Other than an Honorable Discharge According to the most recent U.S. Census statistics, approximately 16.5 million veterans live in the United States. When service members leave the armed forces, they receive a formal discharge of duties and a D.D. Form 214 that spells out the character of their service. Statistics regarding this process vary widely from year to year based on a variety of factors, including the active or peacetime climate of the Department of Defense at the time.   500,000 veterans are currently living with an “other than honorable discharge.”, according to The Department of Veteran Affairs (V.A.). Current statistics found that 16% of veterans discharged from service received a discharge characterization that did not meet the honorable threshold. Approximately 1% of discharges result in the most severe form of separation, a punitive discharge, labeled as a “Dishonorable” or “Bad Conduct” discharge.  Why “Bad Paper Matters” Bad Paper is […]
August 3, 2022

Exposure to Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune

Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 Congress recently passed a bill that clears the way for many veterans and their families who were stationed at the Camp Lejeune military base in North Carolina to seek compensation for medical conditions likely caused by contaminated water. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 eliminates a legal barrier prohibiting these victims from suing the government for benefits related to the illnesses related to the toxic water exposures at Camp Lejeune. The Act is under the umbrella of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022. Toxins in water likely to blame for multiple health problems Exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during a 30-year period is blamed for various health conditions, including several types of cancer, fertility problems, Parkinson’s disease, and more. Victims were exposed to the contaminated water by drinking it, cooking with it, cleaning with it, […]
December 29, 2020

Traumatic Brain Injury: Get the Facts

While traumatic brain injuries may make the national news headlines when it involves beloved NFL players, what’s often lost in these news articles is the reality that traumatic brain injuries are shockingly common and have many different causes. These injuries can leave the injured and their loved ones wondering what they can do if they’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury in their own lives. Today, we’re going to take a few minutes to walk you through TBI, its possible effects, and steps you may be able to take to help your injured family member or loved one in their fight to protect their rights.
December 15, 2020

Agent Orange: Know the Facts

At Bluestein Attorneys, we’ve worked with military servicemembers of all stripes — those just back from a new deployment, vets who served during the first Gulf War, Korean war veterans, Vietnam veterans… the list goes on. While many Vietnam veterans have heard about the herbicide Agent Orange and its use during their time serving overseas, did you know Korean war vets may also have been exposed? The long-term effects of Agent Orange have only recently been acknowledged and truly understood, and it’s important for military veterans who are dealing with hard-to-pinpoint physical issues to know whether or not they may have been exposed during their time in service.
October 26, 2020

Toxic Firefighting Foam & the U.S. Military: What We Know

If you, or someone you love, has developed cancer after being exposed to toxic firefighting foam, please call us right away.     In the 1960s, researchers for the U.S. Navy began testing a new form of firefighting foam that would extinguish flames quite rapidly. Just a decade later, in the 1970s, this type of foam was being used widely, across most military bases in the United States, as well as at a slew of airports, fire departments, and oil refineries. This foam, commonly known as Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was designed to put out burning jet fuel.
April 30, 2020

Radiation Exposure During Military Service

Whether you suspect you may have been exposed to radiation during your time serving in the United States military, or you know for sure you were subject to at least some radiation exposure, it can be hard to know where to begin when it comes to filing for disability benefits. We’ve put together some basic information to help you when it comes to filing your claim.
December 17, 2019

Have You Seen the VA Disability Appeals Changes in 2019?

 Veterans Affairs has recently announced the largest single change to VA Disability claims in decades, discontinuing its Rapid Appeals Modernization Program (or RAMP), in order to fully implement the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization (VAIM) Act, which took effect on February 19, 2019. What does the change to the VA Disability appeals process mean for disabled veterans currently waiting for a decision or considering filing an appeal? We’ve broken down the details to give you a closer look.
August 14, 2019

Battle Over Burn Pit Exposure

  Data Indicates Many Veterans are Suffering from Smoke Exposure Due to Burn Pits. You may have heard about the Burn Pit Registry, but what exactly is it? Burn pits were a common way to get rid of waste at military sites in Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, the VA says that research does not show these burn pits caused any long-term health problems, but much like the veterans affected by Gulf War Syndrome, they are continuing to study it and have created a Burn Pit Registry to keep track of veterans exposed to the smoke and other elements. Nearly 170,000 veterans and current service members have entered information in the registry since it was launched five years ago. These numbers might be the first indication that there is a widespread problem affecting many service members with similar military service.