Veterans Affairs

April 30, 2018

Medical Malpractice at Veterans Affairs: What to Do If You’re Affected

In our last blog, we looked into ways to protect yourself and your loved ones from medical malpractice as a result of VA care. Unfortunately, medical malpractice isn’t limited to care received at private medical facilities or in hospitals  — veterans have also found themselves subject to sometimes serious injuries as a result of care they received at the VA. Current servicemembers and military veterans who have suffered as a result of medical malpractice at the VA do have options! Today, we’ll take a look at the two ways to seek a remedy, the steps included, and why it’s important to have legal representation.
April 17, 2018

Medical Malpractice at VA Facilities: How to Protect Yourself

Local Columbia newspaper The State recently reported on the case of U.S. Navy Veteran Eric Walker. Mr. Walker sought care at the Dorn Veterans Hospital in Columbia, SC, while suffering from severe pains in his abdomen. The hospital asked for a routine urine sample — that’s where the ‘routine’ part of this ER visit ends. To Walker’s shock, the hospital informed him that he had flunked their drug test and his stomach pains were caused by “excessive cocaine use” and other drug ingestion.  Medical staff at Dorn did not attempt to provide treatment for his pain and told him instead to go home and seek help for drug addiction. 
November 29, 2017

What’s the Fastest-Growing Group of Military Veterans Today?

When considering what segment of military veterans is growing the fastest in the United States today, who comes to mind? If you thought of women, you would be correct. As of today, women make up almost 10% of the military, with the number expected to double by 2040. While women serving in the military isn’t anything new, it took until after World War II for their contributions to be formally recognized. Even after recognition, women have continued to have to fight to access the same standard of healthcare from the VA as their male counterparts, especially when it comes to VA Disability claims for service-connected conditions. Let’s take a closer look at injured military women and their fight to receive the standard of care from the VA that they are entitled to.
November 15, 2017

Have You Heard of VA Disability Claims for Agent Blue?

We’ve spoken before about Agent Orange, one of a collection of so-called “rainbow herbicides” sprayed during the conflict in Vietnam as part of the defoliation efforts used by the American military. Agent Orange contamination left thousands of veterans exposed to dangerous chemicals that, over time, have been correlated with a spate of chronic illnesses and even cancers. While many Vietnam-era veterans are aware of their ability to file for VA Disability as a result of Agent Orange contamination, fewer are aware of another common herbicide utilized during Vietnam: Agent Blue. You may be able to file VA Disability claims for Agent Blue if you were exposed during your time in service. Let’s take a closer look at what Agent Blue is and what kinds of health effects come as a result of exposure.
October 18, 2017

What To Do When Your Loved One is a Veteran With PTSD

Are you worried about a loved one with military PTSD? While our recent awareness of PTSD as a result of military service has led to increasingly open conversations and new treatments and therapies for veterans returning from deployment, PTSD itself is nothing new. When your spouse, partner, family member, or friend shows signs and symptoms of PTSD, you may feel helpless and unsure what to do.  We’re here to help with advice for helping your loved one, as well as yourself, when dealing with the often-disabling effects of PTSD.
July 13, 2017

What is a VA Disability Buddy Statement?

When a veteran applies for VA Disability benefits as a result of service-connected conditions or other concerns,, they often present reams of documentation to prove their claim to the VA. One of the documents that you may find useful, when looking to provide supporting evidence, is a “buddy statement.” What is a VA Disability buddy statement, and when is a buddy statement important for proving your claim? Let’s take a closer look.
May 19, 2017

What is a VA Disability Compensation Notice of Disagreement?

In our initial series on VA Disability Claims, we touched on filing appeals in the case of a decision that you feel was incorrect. Today, we’d like to go a little more in-depth into what happens when you file a VA Notice of Disagreement.
April 28, 2017

Stationed at Camp Lejeune? You’ll Want to Read This.

We’ve written before about Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and the effects of the contaminated water on servicemen and their families. We have a quick update to share with you today regarding Camp Lejeune — the VA has officially established presumptions for the service connection of eight diseases associated with exposure to the contaminants in the water supply.
February 3, 2017

PTSD Related to Military Sexual Trauma: What Documents Do You Need?

We tend to think of military veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in terms of military service in combat — that the disorder is caused by being under direct fire, subject to IEDs and their long-term effects, or just the day-to-day stress of combat possibilities. While we’ve spoken before about how PTSD can occur even when you are not in direct combat during military service, there’s one cause of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that can be hidden for years or even decades — military sexual trauma. Today, we’d like to take a look at this tragically common occurrance and what you can do if you’re a survivor.