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, 2022 the VA disability rate benefit amounts are as follows:
- 0 percent disability rating: $0.00 per month
- 10 percent disability rating: $165.92 per month
- 20 percent disability rating: $327.99 per month
- 30 percent disability rating: $508.05 per month
- 40 percent disability rating: $731.86 per month
- 50 percent disability rating: $1,041.82 per month
- 60 percent disability rating: $1,319.65 per month
- 70 percent disability rating: $1,663.06 per month
- 80 percent disability rating: $1,933.15 per month
- 90 percent disability rating: $2,172.39 per month
- 100 percent disability rating: $3,621.95 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
- Understanding VA Claims for “Undiagnosed Illnesses”
Certain eligible veterans can receive VA disability benefits for “undiagnosed illnesses” under VA’s regulation for Persian Gulf War veterans. VA does have certain criteria for what it considers a qualifying undiagnosed disability. An undiagnosed illness is not the same as “Gulf War Syndrome.” What Is the VA’s Persian Gulf War Regulation? Under 38 U.S.C. 1117, […]
- VA Disability for Mefloquine Toxicity
What is Mefloquine? Malaria is a serious infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes and typically found in Iraq, Afghanistan, and many areas in Africa, South America, and Asia. Mefloquine is a round, white tablet taken once a week that can help prevent malaria for travelers. For decades, this drug was administered to both civilians and military […]
- 7 Myths About TDIU
Total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is a benefit that allows veterans to be compensated at VA’s 100 percent disability rate, even if their combined schedular disability rating does not equal 100 percent. TDIU is awarded when veterans are unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as a result of their service-connected conditions. […]