Veteran (VA) Disability Lawyer Serving Pennsylvania
Are you a Pennsylvania resident? Did you serve in the military? Do you currently suffer from a disabling medical condition due to your time in service? If so, you might be entitled to VA service-connected disability benefits. Unfortunately, proving this is harder than you might think, and many deserving veterans receive denials.
If this happened to you, a VA disability lawyer serving Pennsylvania can help you appeal your denial and get the compensation you deserve. Call 800-544-9144 for a free consultation with Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD.
Pennsylvania VA Benefit Resources
Pennsylvania VA Regional Benefit Offices
Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Regional Benefit Office
Philadelphia: Philadelphia Regional Benefit Office
Pennsylvania VA Medical Centers
Altoona: Altoona – James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center
Butler: VA Butler Healthcare
Coatesville: Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Erie: Erie VA Medical Center
Lebanon: Lebanon VA Medical Center
Philadelphia: Philadelphia VA Medical Center
Pittsburgh: VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, H.J. Heinz Campus
Pittsburgh: VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive Campus
Wilkes-Barre: Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center
Pennsylvania VA Statistics
As of 2016, Pennsylvania has:
- Over 845,000 veterans living in the state (roughly 8.7 percent of the state’s adult population).
- Over 121,000 state residents receiving VA disability benefits.
- Nearly 350,000 veterans in currently enrolled in the VA health care system (232,000 have sought treatment at a VA medical center).
Nearly 54 percent of veterans living in Pennsylvania are 65 years or older, and over six percent are military retirees, meaning they served enough years to receive full military retirement benefits.
Winning VA Disability Benefits in Pennsylvania
Unfortunately, benefit denials are common for disabled veterans, so if your application was denied, you are not alone. The VA disability lawyers at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD can review your claim, strengthen it, gather evidence and supporting documentation, and help you improve your chances of receiving a grant.
To receive a grant of service connection, we must be able to demonstrate the following:
- Evidence of an illness, injury, or event that occurred during active duty military service;
- A current diagnosis of a disabling medical condition from a qualified professional; and
- A nexus, or link, connecting an event in your military service to your diagnosis.
The nexus medical opinion is vital to any claim. Without a strong link showing a cause-and-effect relationship between your military service and your diagnosis, your chances of receiving an approval for benefits are low.
For instance, we might present evidence that you sustained a back injury during a training exercise, which led to a chronic back condition. If your time in service caused damage to your hearing, we can gather documentation showing repeated noise exposure during combat or training, leading to hearing loss.
We thoroughly develop your case by getting copies of your military personnel and medical records, post-service medical records, physician statements, and the testimony of medical experts.
VA Disability Compensation Levels
The first step in the process is receiving a grant of service connection. Next, we help you earn the highest possible combined disability rating, as this rating determines the amount of compensation you receive each month.
Disability ratings range from 0 percent, a level at which you do not receive a monthly check but might qualify for ancillary benefits (such as health care), to 100 percent, a rating that signifies full disability and makes you eligible for the highest schedular amount of compensation.
As of December 1st, 2024, the VA disability rate benefit amounts are as follows:
- 0 percent disability rating: $0.00 per month
- 10 percent disability rating: $171.23 per month
- 20 percent disability rating: $338.49 per month
- 30 percent disability rating: $524.31 per month
- 40 percent disability rating: $755.28 per month
- 50 percent disability rating: $1,075.16 per month
- 60 percent disability rating: $1,361.88 per month
- 70 percent disability rating: $1,716.28 per month
- 80 percent disability rating: $1,995.01 per month
- 90 percent disability rating: $2,241.91 per month
- 100 percent disability rating: $3,737.85 per month
If you receive a rating of 30 percent or higher, you could qualify for additional benefits for household members who depend on you financially, such as your spouse, children, or dependent parents.
For a Free Consultation, Call Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD: 800-544-9144.
You sacrificed your health to serve our country, and for that, we believe you deserve to be taken care of. Our attorneys want to make sure that happens. To see how we can help with your appeal, call us at 800-544-9144 today for a free consultation.
Pennsylvania Blog Posts
- What is a Board of Veterans’ Appeals Docket Number?
What is the Board of Veterans’ Appeals? The Board of Veterans’ Appeals is an entity that conducts hearings and decides claims for veterans’ benefits once they have been appealed from the agency of original jurisdiction, usually a VA Regional Office. The Board issues Veterans’ claims a docket number before it partakes in what is called […]
- What Is a VA Sworn Declaration Form and How Is it Used?
VA Form 21-10210: Lay/Witness Statement A VA sworn declaration is a letter or statement in support of a veteran’s claim. Sworn declarations are usually written by a layperson or someone without medical expertise. A layperson generally can be a relative, spouse, friend, co-worker, or fellow servicemember. Using Form 21-10210, the veteran or a layperson can […]
- Agent Orange Damages Brain Like Alzheimer’s: Brown University
In February 2024, scientists at Brown University began publishing results from a study on Agent Orange and how it damages the brain. The study sheds light on the actual mechanisms Agent Orange uses to affect brain tissue and cause neurodegenerative diseases. This information could prove extremely useful for veterans seeking to establish a connection between […]