Veterans (VA) Disability Lawyer Serving Hilo, HI

Are you a veteran living in Hilo, Hawaii with a disabling condition related to your military service?  If so, you may qualify for disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

If VA denied your claim, Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick may be able to help.  Call CCK today at 800-544-9144 to speak with a member of our team.

VA Resources in Hilo, Hawaii

There are several VA resources available to veterans living in Hilo, Hawaii, including a VA Clinic, a Vet Center, and a Regional Office.

VA Clinic

The Hilo VA Clinic provides primary care, laboratory and pathology services, and more services to qualifying veterans living in Hilo and the surrounding areas on the island of Hawaii.  Veterans can schedule appointments online or by calling 808-433-0600.

Vet Center

The Hilo Vet Center provides counseling for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the effects of military trauma.  It also offers information about VA services and benefits and referral to different community resources for veterans.

VA Regional Office

The Honolulu Regional Office administers several VA programs and services for veterans living across Hawaii, including those in Hilo.  These include disability compensation, education programs, loan guaranty, VA pension, and Veterans Readiness and Employment.

How to Get VA Benefits in Hilo, Hawaii

In order to qualify for VA disability benefits in Hilo, Hawaii, veterans must have proof of these three things:

• An in-service event, injury, or illness;
• A current diagnosis of a disability by a medical professional; and
• A nexus, or link, between the in-service event and current disabling condition.

Providing evidence of a nexus is especially important to proving your claim for disability benefits.  Veterans can ask their private physician or another medical professional for a nexus opinion to support their claim.  VA may also schedule a compensation and pension (C&P) exam to fulfill the nexus element.

VA Disability Compensation Rates

After establishing service connection, VA will assign a disability rating between 0 to 100 and increasing in severity by increments of 10.  If you have multiple service-connected conditions, VA will combine the ratings using VA math.  This combined disability rating will then determine your monthly compensation rate.

As of December 1st, 2023 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

Veterans with at least a 30 percent combined disability rating and one or more dependents may qualify for additional monthly compensation.

What Benefits Does a 100% Disabled Veteran Get?

Veterans with a 100 percent rating living in Hilo, HI may also qualify for additional benefits, such as:

• Medical, dental, and mental health care from VA’s Health Care Priority Group 1;
• A grant from VA to help build, modify, or buy a specially adapted home to meet a veteran’s needs;
• Military identification cards;
• Emergency care outside of VA;
• State-offered benefits (e.g., vehicle registration)
• Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) for dependents
• And more.

How to Appeal a VA Decision in Hilo, HI

If VA denies your claim for disability benefits, you can appeal the decision in one of three ways:

• Request a Higher-Level Review of your current claim by a senior VA employee;
• Submit new and relevant evidence as part of a Supplemental Claim; or
• File a Notice of Disagreement with the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.

A veterans (VA) disability attorney serving Hilo, HI – such as the accredited attorneys from Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD – may be able to assist you in choosing which appeal lane best fits your situation.

VA regulates who can represent a veteran and how much they can paid under 38 CFR § 14.636.  A veteran (VA) representative will typically charge on a contingency basis, meaning they will only take a previously agreed upon percentage of recovered retroactive benefits.  It is illegal to charge fees based on future benefits.

How CCK Can Help Hilo Veterans

The experienced, accredited veterans’ representatives at CCK know what it takes to successfully appeal a VA decision.  If VA denied you disability benefits, a CCK veterans (VA) disability lawyer serving Hilo, HI may be able to help you get the compensation you deserve.  Call CCK today at 800-544-9144 to schedule your complimentary consultation.