If you served our country and suffer from a disabling condition due to your military service, we believe you deserve disability benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Unfortunately, obtaining a grant of these benefits is difficult and denials are common.
A veteran (VA) disability lawyer serving California can help you put together a successful VA disability appeal. The VA is not always the easiest organization to work with, and many veterans face challenges while appealing a benefits denial. The legal team at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD has a long and successful track record of successful outcomes for our veteran clients, and we want to put our extensive resources to work for you.
For a free consultation, call us today at 800-544-9144.
California VA Benefit Resources
As the largest state in the U.S. by population, California has numerous Regional Benefit Offices and VA Medical Centers.
California VA Regional Benefit Offices
- Los Angeles: Los Angeles Regional Benefit Office
- San Diego: San Diego Regional Benefit Office
- Oakland: Oakland Regional Benefit Office
California VA Medical Centers
- Fresno: Central California VA Health Care System
- Livermore: Livermore Division (Palo Alto)
- Loma Linda: VA Loma Linda Healthcare System
- Long Beach: VA Long Beach Healthcare System
- Los Angeles: VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
- Mather: VA Northern California Health Care System
- Menlo Park: Menlo Park Division (Palo Alto)
- Palo Alto: VA Palo Alto Health Care System
- San Diego: VA San Diego Healthcare System
California VA Statistics
As of 2016, California has over 1.7 million residents who are veterans, comprising 6.1 percent of the total population. The state currently has over 372,000 veterans receiving disability benefits and over 755,000 veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare system, 464,000 of whom have received treatment.
Nearly half of California’s veterans (49 percent) are 65 years of age or older, and over nine percent are military retirees, meaning they put in the required years of service to receive full retirement from the military.
How to Win a VA Disability Benefits Appeal
To successfully appeal a VA disability benefits denial, we must prove two things:
- You have disabling current diagnosis of a disabling condition
- Your condition resulted from a specific event, injury, or illness that occurred during your military service (This is known as service connection.)
Sometimes, the VA automatically presumes service connection between certain events and certain medical conditions. For instance, if you served in Vietnam and later received a diagnosis for a condition such as lung cancer, we do not have to prove service connection, as the VA presumes that your exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam caused your medical condition.
If the VA does not presume service connection, we can build a compelling case to prove that your condition is service-connected. For instance, if you are disabled due to hearing loss, we can link your exposure to loud noises during training exercises or combat missions to your diagnosis.
We do this using evidence such as your military service and medical treatment records, your current medical diagnoses and lab test results, statements from your physician, testimony from medical experts, and other evidence that we deem necessary to prove your case.
VA Disability Compensation Levels
The amount of VA disability compensation you receive depends on your combined disability rating. VA calculates your combined rating using a specific formula; it does not simply add together your individual disability ratings. At a 0 percent rating, you will not receive monthly compensation, but you might qualify for healthcare and other ancillary benefits. As of December 2017, the monthly compensation levels for ratings of 10 through 100 percent are as follows:
- 10 percent disability rating: $136.24 per month
- 20 percent disability rating: $269.30 per month
- 30 percent disability rating: $417.15 per month
- 40 percent disability rating: $600.90 per month
- 50 percent disability rating: $855.41 per month
- 60 percent disability rating: $1,083.52 per month
- 70 percent disability rating: $1,365.48 per month
- 80 percent disability rating: $1,587.25 per month
- 90 percent disability rating: $1,783.68 per month
- 100 percent disability rating: $2,973.86 per month
At a 30 percent rating or higher, you can receive additional benefits for dependents (e.g., spouse, dependent children, dependent parents) in your household. By gathering compelling evidence, our attorneys fight for the highest level of compensation for which you qualify.
For VA Disability Help, Call 800-544-9144 for a Free Consultation
The veterans advocates at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD have dedicated their careers to fighting for the rights of veterans. We may be able help you win the disability benefits you deserve. For a free consultation, call us today at 800-544-9144.
