VA offers disability benefits to veterans living in Nevada who have an injury or illness due to military service. Unfortunately, it is common for veterans to receive a denial upon filing a claim for disability benefits. A veterans lawyer serving Nevada at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD may be able to help you navigate the appeals process.
Nevada VA Benefit Resources
Nevada VA Regional Benefit Office
Nevada VA Medical Centers
- North Las Vegas: VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System
- Reno: VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System
Nevada VA Outpatient Clinics
- Henderson: Southeast Primary Care Clinic
- Las Vegas: Northeast Primary Care Clinic
- Las Vegas: Northwest Primary Care Clinic
- Las Vegas: Southwest Primary Care Clinic
Nevada VA Statistics
As of 2016, Nevada has:
- 220,000 veterans, comprising more than 10% of the state’s population
- More than 47,000 veterans receiving VA disability benefits
- More than 110,000 veterans enrolled in VA’s health care system, of which more than 73,000 have received treatment at a VA health care facility
- More than 46 percent of Nevada’s veterans are 65 or older
How to Receive VA Disability Compensation in Nevada
The veterans lawyers serving Nevada at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD are dedicated to helping veterans fight for the disability benefits they deserve. In order to receive VA disability compensation in Nevada, you must prove three things to VA:
- You have a current, diagnosed disability
- An event, injury, or illness occurred during your military service
- A “nexus” between the diagnosed disability and the in-service event
You Have a Current, Diagnosed Disability
First, you must show that you have a current, diagnosed disability. Unlike Social Security Administration’s SSDI benefits, you do not have to be totally disabled to receive VA disability benefits. Instead, VA grants disability compensation benefits based on your combined disability rating. Your service-connected disability will receive a rating between 0 to 100 percent based on severity. If you have more than one service-connected condition, VA will use a mathematical formula to determine your combined rating. Combined ratings range from 0 to 100 percent in increments of 10. Each combined rating corresponds to a compensation amount.
You Experienced an Event, Injury, or Illness During Service
Second, you must establish that an event, injury, or illness occurred during your military service. For example, this can be done using service records with dates and details of your service or providing a statement about what happened. The event may have happened during a training exercise, a combat mission, or something else.
Establish a “Nexus”
A “nexus” is the link between your current disability and the event that occurred during your military service. A qualified medical professional must provide a “nexus” opinion. To provide a positive “nexus” opinion, the qualified medical professional must state it is “at least as likely as not” that your current condition is due to your military service.
VA Disability Benefit Levels
Your monthly compensation is based on your combined VA disability rating. As of 2018, the VA disability compensation rates are as follows:
- 10 percent disability rating: $136.24 per month
- 20 percent disability rating: $269.30 per month
- 30 percent disability rating: $417.15 per month
- 40 percent disability rating: $600.90 per month
- 50 percent disability rating: $855.41 per month
- 60 percent disability rating: $1,083.52 per month
- 70 percent disability rating: $1,365.48 per month
- 80 percent disability rating: $1,587.25 per month
- 90 percent disability rating: $1,783.68 per month
- 100 percent disability rating: $2,973.86 per month
If you receive a combined rating of 30 percent or higher, you are eligible to receive additional compensation for qualified dependents living in your household. Qualifying dependents include your spouse, minor children or children in school, and dependent parents.
If you received a disability rating with which you are not satisfied, the veterans lawyers serving Nevada at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD may be able to help you appeal your VA disability rating and fight for a higher one.
Call 800-544-9144 to Speak with a Member of the Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD Team
If you are concerned about hiring a veterans lawyer because of potential cost, keep in mind that at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD, we work on a contingency basis. This means that we do not get paid until you do. Case evaluations are always free, so call today to speak with a member of our team: 800-544-9144.
