Wars can leave behind many battle scars, especially for the soldiers that fight them. Data compiled by researchers at Brown University shows that there are nearly one million veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars receiving disability benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
War produces many casualties, and often soldiers end up wounded with lifelong, debilitating injuries. Second- and third-degree burns are common. Other types of injuries with which soldiers are likely to return home include broken bones, severed limbs, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sight or hearing losses, nerve damage, paralysis, brain trauma and shrapnel wounds.
There are other types of injuries associated with war that don’t necessarily get included in the official count of those soldiers considered to have been “wounded in action.” These “non-hostile injuries” may consist of attempted suicide, car crashes, heatstroke and respiratory problems.
Soldiers often come back from deployment, having suffered from toxic dust exposure. Such a condition can lead to cardiac, respiratory and neurological diseases down the road.
Injuries can be so severe that a veteran may be unable to work or take care of oneself. That soldier may have to petition the VA and the Social Security Administration (SSA) for disability benefits in response to this. The eligibility requirements that veterans must meet to receive VA disability benefits are often lower than the eligibility threshold established by the SSA.
If you are a veteran and are suffering from combat-related injuries or medical conditions, then you may be eligible for both SSA and VA disability benefits. A veterans’ issues attorney here in Minnesota can help you prepare your application if you meet the eligibility criteria for benefits. Your Minneapolis lawyer’s expertise in filling out such applications will come in handy and hopefully result in approval.
