Veterans (VA) Disability Lawyer Serving Connecticut
If you live in Connecticut and served in the military, you may qualify for VA benefits for current disabilities you believe to be due to your time in service. To do so, you must file a claim for service-connected compensation with VA. Unfortunately, VA may deny your claim.
A veterans lawyer serving Connecticut at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick can help you fight for the VA benefits to which you are rightfully entitled. We offer a free case evaluation over the phone.
Call us at 800-544-9144 today.
Connecticut VA Benefit Resources
The state has a Regional Benefit Office in Newington, right outside of Hartford, as well as VA Medical Centers in Hartford and West Haven.
Connecticut VA Regional Benefit Offices
- Newington: Hartford Regional Benefit Office
Connecticut VA Medical Centers
- Newington: VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Newington Campus
- West Haven: VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven Campus
Connecticut Community-Based Outpatient Clinics
- Danbury: Danbury Outpatient Clinic
- New London: John J. McGuirk (New London) VA Outpatient Clinic
- Stamford: Stamford Outpatient Clinic
- Waterbury: Waterbury Outpatient Clinic
- Willimantic: Willimantic Outpatient Clinic
- Winsted: Winsted Outpatient Clinic
Connecticut VA Statistics
More than 191,000 of Connecticut’s residents are veterans, comprising 7 percent of those living in the state. Additionally, more than 26,000 Connecticut veterans receive VA disability benefits. Over 75,000 veterans are enrolled in VA’s health care system, 50,000 of which have sought treatment at a VA facility at least once.
More than 54 percent of Connecticut’s veterans are 65 years old or older, and more than 5 percent are military retirees.
How to Receive VA Disability Benefits in Connecticut
In order to be eligible for service-connected compensation, three elements must be present:
- You have a current, diagnosed disability.
- You must provide evidence that you experienced an event, injury, or illness during your military service.
- You must establish a “nexus” between your event, injury, or illness and your current, diagnosed disability.
A Current, Diagnosed Disability
You must have a current diagnosis of a disability from an appropriate healthcare professional.
An Event, Injury, or Illness in Your Military Service
The second part of a VA disability claim is establishing you experienced an event, injury, or illness during your service. For example, this can be something that occurred during a training exercise or during combat, or it may even involve exposure to herbicides or other environmental hazards.
Providing a “Nexus” Between Your Condition and the Event
The next crucial step is establishing a “nexus,” or a connection between the in-service event and your current condition. Upon receiving your claim, VA may order a Compensation and Pension examination to obtain a nexus opinion. To have a positive nexus, the opinion must state it is “at least as likely as not” that your condition resulted from your service. You can also provide medical nexus opinions from private physicians or treatment providers.
VA Disability Ratings
It is important to note that VA does not require you to be totally disabled to receive benefits. Monthly VA disability compensation ranges anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per month, depending on your combined disability rating. This rating ranges from 0 to 100 percent.
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: $175.51 per month
- 20 percent disability rating: $346.95 per month
- 30 percent disability rating: $537.42 per month
- 40 percent disability rating: $774.16 per month
- 50 percent disability rating: $1,102.04 per month
- 60 percent disability rating: $1,395.93 per month
- 70 percent disability rating: $1,759.19 per month
- 80 percent disability rating: $2,044.89 per month
- 90 percent disability rating: $2,297.96 per month
- 100 percent disability rating: $3,831.30 per month
What Is TDIU?
If you are unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment as a result of your service-connected conditions, you may be eligible for Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU). With TDIU, you can receive the highest schedular amount of compensation even if you do not receive the highest schedular disability rating.
Call Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD at 800-544-9144 for a Free VA Disability Case Evaluation
At Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD, our veterans attorneys serving Connecticut strive to help veterans who are pursuing VA benefits.
To speak with a team member, call our office today at 800-544-9144.
Connecticut Blog Posts
- VA Proposes Regulations to Limit Attorney Access to the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS)
What is the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS)? VA created the Veterans Benefits Management System (“VBMS”) to essentially serve as an electronic database comprised of veterans’ electronic claims files. It is a depository of all the information related to a specific veteran or claimant and their compensation claim. Who Has Access to VBMS? Both VA […]
- Top 15 States for 100% Disabled Veteran Benefits
A 100 percent disability rating, or total disability rating, is the highest rating percentage the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers for service-connected compensation. VA grants this rating to veterans with extremely debilitating service-connected conditions, including those who are unable to work due to their conditions (i.e., TDIU). A 100 percent rating provides the highest […]
- Knee Problems and Your VA Disability Claim
Knee problems are commonly claimed conditions for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. According to the VA 2020 Annual Benefits Report, limitation of knee flexion was the second most commonly-claimed disability during that fiscal year, with over 98,000 veterans receiving disability benefits for this issue. In total, over one million veterans receive service-connected compensation for limited […]