Veteran (VA) Disability Lawyer Serving Maine
If you are a veteran suffering from a service-related disabling condition, you may be entitled to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability benefits.
If you submitted a claim but VA denied you benefits, a Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD veteran (VA) disability lawyer serving Maine may be able to help you appeal the decision. The veterans’ advocates at CCK can guide you through the challenging VA appeals process.
Call 800-544-9144 today for a free consultation.
VA Benefit Resources in Maine
Veterans living in Maine have access to several VA resources, including a VA Regional Benefit Office, a VA Medical Center, VA outpatient clinics, and more.
Regional Benefit Office
- Augusta: Togus Regional Benefit Office
VA Medical Center
- Augusta: VA Maine Healthcare System
VA Outpatient Clinics
- Bingham: Bingham VA Mobile Clinic
- Fort Kent: Fort Kent VA Clinic
- Houlton: Houlton VA Clinic
Maine VA Statistics
As of 2017, Maine has:
- More than 114,000 residents who are veterans (over 11 percent of the state’s adult population);
- More than 27,000 veterans receiving disability compensation; and
- More than 57,000 veterans currently enrolled in the VA health care system (over 41,000 of these veterans have sought treatment at a VA medical center).
Around 50 percent of veterans living in Maine are 65 years or older and more than 10 percent are military retirees.
Winning VA Disability Compensation in Maine
To secure VA disability compensation in Maine, veterans must establish service connection. To do so, they must provide proof of the following three elements:
- An in-service event, injury, or illness;
- A current diagnosis of a disabling condition by a medical professional; and
- A nexus, or link, between the in-service event and current disability.
VA Disability Compensation Rates
Once service connection is established, VA will assign a disability rating based on the severity of your condition. If you have multiple service-connected conditions, VA will combine your ratings using VA math. This combined disability rating determines your monthly compensation rate.
Disability ratings range between 0 and 100 percent. The higher the rating, the more disability compensation you will receive each month.
To receive monthly compensation, you must have a disability rating of 10 percent or higher. A 100 percent disabled veteran living in Maine is considered totally disabled and receives the highest benefit amount.
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
If you have a rating of at least 30 percent, you may qualify for additional compensation for dependents living in your household. Dependents include children under the age of 18, a spouse, dependent parents, or children between the ages of 18 and 23 who are in school.
How to Appeal a VA Benefits Denial
There are currently three ways to appeal a VA decision under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA):
- 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.
Should I Get a Veterans (VA) Disability Lawyer in Maine?
A veterans (VA) disability lawyer may be able to help you determine which appeal lane best fits your situation. It is also important to note that VA regulates who can represent a veteran and how much they can be paid under 38 CFR § 14.636.
An accredited veterans (VA) disability attorney typically charges on a contingency basis, meaning they will take a previously agreed upon percentage of recovered retroactive benefits. It is illegal for attorneys to charge fees based on any future benefits.
Fees equal to or below 20 percent are considered reasonable by VA, while anything above 33.3 percent is deemed unreasonable.
How CCK Can Help with Your VA Appeal in Maine
If VA denied you compensation for your service-connected disability, a Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD veterans (VA) disability lawyer serving Maine may be able to help.
The veterans (VA) disability attorneys at CCK are committed to helping veterans secure the benefits they deserve. The CCK team can evaluate a veteran’s military records and medical history to determine what evidence is needed to build a winning appeal.
Call 800-544-9144 today for a free case review.
Maine Blog Posts
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VA Disability for Head and Neck CancersOn August 10, 2022, the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2021 added 23 conditions to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ presumptive list for military toxic exposure. Among these conditions are head cancers and neck cancers. What Are Head and Neck Cancers? Head and neck cancers are cancers that affect several […]
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VA Disability Ratings for SinusitisWhat is Chronic Sinusitis? Chronic sinusitis occurs when the spaces inside your nose and head (i.e., sinuses) are swollen and inflamed for three months or longer, despite treatment. This condition is rather common and typically interferes with the way mucus drains, causing your nose to be stuffy. As such, breathing through your nose may be […]
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Rating Reductions: What VA Can and Cannot DoUnder certain conditions, VA may reduce your disability rating. Legally, VA is entitled to rating reductions but there are rules they must follow when doing so. But unfortunately, mistakes are still made and VA often does not get rating reductions quite right. So, in this post, we’ll discuss what VA can and cannot do when […]