Did you know you could receive a monthly tax-free payment from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) if you are a qualified service member or veteran with a service-related disability? You may also be able to make a VA disability claim if you are the spouse, child, or dependent parent of a disabled or deceased service member.
Disability insurance is one of several types of benefits the VA provides service members and their families. If you are a disabled American veteran or immediate family member, you might be able to apply for compensation to replace income lost due to your condition. VA benefits could pay for disability-related expenses and financially help your household.
There are thousands of lawyers around the country who specialize in helping U.S. military service members and their families get the benefits they need through VA lawsuits and appeals. While you don’t need a lawyer when you first apply for VA benefits, a lawyer can assist you with many aspects of the VA claims process, including:
- Appealing a denial of benefits or a claim.
- Upgrading your discharge status to qualify for benefits.
- Expediting your claims.
If you believe that a VA doctor or other medical professional misdiagnosed you, prescribed you the wrong medication, or otherwise made a mistake in treating you, a lawyer can help you with veteran affairs medical malpractice settlements, too.
A veterans disability claims lawyer can also help you determine if you qualify as part an ongoing class action lawsuit for veterans.
A class action lawsuit is where a large group of plaintiffs (victims) who share the same level of damages demands justice from the defendants (large organizations or agencies) who mistreated them.
For example, veterans’ rights groups have filed lawsuits and demanded compensation for veterans who developed serious medical conditions after being exposed to harmful chemicals without their knowledge.
Other groups have filed lawsuits to improve the VA claims process and make it easier for veterans to get the financial and medical help they need.
Some of the most notable class action lawsuits for veterans include:
- Agent Orange Product Liability Litigation: Many veterans who served in Vietnam were exposed to harmful herbicides during their overseas service. It settled for more $180 million in the 1980s.
- Sabo v. United States: The plaintiff alleged that the VA illegally denied medical claims from veterans who returned home from active duty service in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2002 and 2008.
- Vietnam Veterans of America and Veterans of Modern Warfare sue for expedited VA claims processes: A lawsuit representing nearly 60,000 military service members who suffered economic hardship due to two to four-year delays in viable VA disability claims.
- VA earplug lawsuit: As of August 2022, veterans are able to continue a lawsuit against 3M, the manufacturer of defective Combat Arms Earplugs previously used in many branches of the military. This veterans hearing loss lawsuit could see more than $100 million awarded to qualifying vets suffering from hearing loss and tinnitus.
While most lawyers who work on veterans’ disability cases offer free consultations and contingency-fee service, the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) and the NVLSP Lawyers Serving Warriors Program provides completely free legal representation for claim denials, class action lawsuits, and more.
By Admin –
