If you are a veteran living in Kansas and suffering from an illness or injury that you believe is due to your time in service, you may qualify for VA disability benefits.
At Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD, a veterans disability lawyer serving Kansas may be able to help you. For a free evaluation call our office at 800-544-9144.
Kansas VA Benefit Resources
Kansas veterans can find several resources in the state, including a Regional Benefit Office located in Wichita and three VA Medical Centers.
Kansas VA Regional Benefit Offices
- Wichita: Wichita Regional Benefit Office
Kansas VA Medical Centers
- Leavenworth: VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System – Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center
- Topeka: VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System – Colmery-O’Neil VA Medical Center
- Wichita: Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center
Kansas VA Outpatient Clinic
- Overland Park: Johnson County/Radiation Oncology VA Clinic
Kansas VA Statistics
Nearly 200,000 veterans live in Kansas, comprising more than 9 percent of the state’s population. Almost 38,000 of them receive VA disability benefits, and more than 87,000 are enrolled in VA’s health care system. Of that number, nearly 60,000 have been treated at a VA health care center.
Approximately 45 percent of Kansas veterans are 65 years or older, and 11 percent are military retirees.
How To Recieve VA Disability Compensation in Kansas
The veterans lawyers serving Kansas at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD are dedicated to helping veterans pursue VA disability benefits.
In order to receive VA disability benefits, you must prove three things. First, you must have a current, diagnosed medical condition. Second, an event, injury, or illness occurred during your military service. Third, you must establish a “nexus” between the current diagnosed condition and the in-service event.
You Have a Current, Diagnosed Condition
To receive VA disability compensation, you must have a current, diagnosed condition. Unlike Social Security Administration’s SSDI benefits, VA does not require you to be totally disabled to receive benefits. VA will evaluate the severity of your service-connected disability and assign a rating that corresponds to a compensation amount.
An Event, Injury, or Illness Occurred During Your Military Service
You must also show that a specific event, injury, or illness occurred during your military service. This event could be a combat mission, a training exercise, a motor vehicle accident, or exposure to harmful chemicals.
Establish a “Nexus”
Finally, you must establish a “nexus”, or a link, between your condition and your military service. To provide a “nexus”, we may ask for an opinion from a qualified medical professional. A positive “nexus” opinion will state it is “at least as likely as not” that your current, diagnosed condition is due to your military service.
VA Disability Compensation Amounts
Your combined VA disability rating determines the amount of monthly compensation you receive. The scale assigns a disability rating between 0 and 100 percent.
As of 2018, the current schedular amounts of VA disability compensation are as follows:
- 10 percent disability rating: $136.24
- 20 percent: disability rating: $269.30
- 30 percent disability rating: $417.15
- 40 percent disability rating: $600.90
- 50 percent disability rating: $855.41
- 60 percent disability rating: $1,083.52
- 70 percent disability rating: $1,365.48
- 80 percent disability rating: $1,587.25
- 90 percent disability rating: $1,783.68
- 100 percent disability rating: $2,973.86
What is TDIU?
Do your service-connected conditions prevent you from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment? If so, you may be eligible for Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
To receive TDIU, you must show that your service-connected conditions prevent you from working. With TDIU, you can receive the highest schedular amount of compensation even if your combined disability rating does not equal 100 percent.
Call Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD at 800-544-9144
If you are a Kansas veteran who has been denied VA disability benefits, the team of veterans lawyers serving Kansas from Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD may be able to help you. For a free evaluation, call Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick at 800-544-9144.
