If you are a veteran living in Missouri who suffers from an injury or illness you believe to be due to your time in service, you may be eligible for VA disability benefits.
Unfortunately, some veterans are denied when they initially apply for service-connected compensation. A veterans disability lawyer at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD may be able to help you appeal denied VA benefits.
To speak with a team member, call 800-544-9144 today.
Missouri VA Benefit Resources
Missouri VA Regional Benefit Office
- St. Louis: St. Louis Regional Benefit Office
Missouri VA Medical Centers
- Columbia: Harry S. Truman Memorial
- Kansas City: Kansas City VA Medical Center
- Poplar Bluff: John J. Pershing VA Medical Center
- St. Louis: VA St. Louis Health Care System – Jefferson Barracks Division
Missouri VA Outpatient Clinic
- Platte City: Platte City
Missouri VA Statistics
As of 2016, Missouri has:
- More than 450,000 veterans comprising almost 10 percent of the state’s population
- More than 90,000 veterans receiving VA disability benefits
- More than 200,000 veterans enrolled in VA’s health care system, of which 141,000 have received treatment at a VA health care facility
- More than 48 percent of Missouri’s veterans are 65 or older, and 8.2 percent are military retirees.
How to Receive VA Disability Benefits in Missouri
In order to receive VA disability compensation in Missouri you must show three things:
- You have a current, diagnosed condition
- An event, injury, or illness occurred during your military service
- A “nexus” between the diagnosis and the in-service event.
You Have a Current, Diagnosed Disability
First you must show that you have a current, diagnosed condition. Unlike the Social Security Administration’s SSDI benefits, VA does not require you to be totally disabled to receive benefits. Instead, you may receive benefits for a partially disabling conditions. VA uses a disability rating scale of 0 to 100 percent based on the severity of your condition. This rating, known as your combined disability rating, determines the amount of monthly compensation you receive.
An Event, Illness, or Injury Occurred
You must show an event, injury, or illness occurred during your military service. For instance, if you suffer hearing loss, we might use service records to point to a combat mission or training exercise in which you were exposed to loud, recurring noises. The event, injury, or illness could also be demonstrated by treatment notes when you went to sick call, documentation about your military occupational specialty corroborating exposure to environmental hazards, or lay testimony from yourself or fellow servicemembers.
Establish A “Nexus”
A “nexus” is a connection between your current disability and the event, injury, or illness that occurred during service. A positive “nexus” opinion states it is “at least as likely as not” that your condition is due to your military service. A “nexus” opinion must come from a qualified health care treatment provider.
VA Disability Benefit Levels
If your combined disability rating is 10 percent or higher, you are eligible for monthly compensation benefits. The following are the schedular amounts of service-connected compensation for combined ratings 10 to 100 percent:
- 10 percent disability rating: $140.05 per month
- 20 percent disability rating: $276.84 per month
- 30 percent disability rating: $428.83 per month
- 40 percent disability rating: $617.73 per month
- 50 percent disability rating: $879.36 per month
- 60 percent disability rating: $1,113.86 per month
- 70 percent disability rating: $1,403.71 per month
- 80 percent disability rating: $1,631.69 per month
- 90 percent disability rating: $1,833.62 per month
- 100 percent disability rating: $3,057.19 per month
With a combined disability rating of 30 percent or higher, you may also receive additional benefits for qualifying dependents living in your household. Qualifying dependents include minor children, children still in school, dependent parents, or your spouse.
Call Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD at 800-544-9144
If you are worried about hiring a veterans lawyer to appeal your denied VA benefits because you do not think you can afford it, keep in mind that we work on a contingency basis. This means that we do not get paid until you do.
Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD offers a free case evaluation to all veterans in Missouri. Call 800-544-9144 to speak with a team member today.
