Getting Veterans (VA) Disability for Visual Eyesight Impairment
CCK Law: Our Vital Role in Veterans Law
If you served in the military and later suffered visual eyesight impairment, you might be eligible for disability benefits. The attorneys at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick have decades of experience handling disability cases and have helped many veterans pursue compensation for service-related injuries. We can put our knowledge and resources to work helping you pursue any veterans (VA) disability you may be entitled to for visual eyesight impairment.
Pursuing benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can be a trying process, and the decisions VA makes can often seem arbitrary. Let us take the burden off your shoulders. We can handle your claim from beginning to end. Call our office today for a free consultation: 401-331-6300.
Am I Eligible for Disability Benefits for Visual Eyesight Impairment?
A benefits grant requires three things:
- A current diagnosis of a qualifying visual impairment;
- Proof of an in-service incident, injury, or illness;
- A link, or nexus, between your diagnosis and the in-service event.
Current Diagnosis
First, we must provide VA with a valid diagnosis of your visual eyesight impairment. It is strict on the source and type of diagnosis it accepts. You must receive a diagnosis from a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist who conducts one of the following tests:
Goldmann Kinetic Perimetry: This test measures your range of vision by moving a stimulus from the edge of your field of vision into the field.
Automated Perimetry: Automated perimetry tests your visual field with a white stimulus against a white background.
Service-Related Event
Once we establish a valid diagnosis of your visual eyesight impairment, we must identify a specific injury, illness, or event in your military service that led to your condition. We do this by scouring your service history, speaking to you and/or your service buddies, and examining your medical records while in the military, to name a few.
We look for evidence of any head injury or exposure to hazardous chemicals or bright lights.
Linking Medical Opinion
The last and most important step in the process of building a case is linking the identified service event to your diagnosis of visual eyesight impairment. This must be done by a qualified medical professional. If appropriate, our team can assist you with getting a qualified medical opinion to support your case.
How Much Can I Receive in VA Benefits for My Visual Eyesight Impairment?
VA assigns a disability rating when it awards benefits. This rating, which is between 0 and 100 percent in increments of 10 percent, quantifies VA’s opinion of the severity of your condition and its impact on your daily living. How much you receive per month depends on your rating. Different conditions and injuries receive different ratings.
If you receive a rating of 30 percent or higher, you can receive additional benefits on behalf of any dependents living in your household, such as your spouse, children, or dependent parents. VA awards this compensation on top of your monthly benefits.
What Eye Conditions Qualify for VA Disability Benefits?
The VA Schedule of Rating Disabilities lists the various conditions that qualify for benefits. The list includes several forms of visual eyesight impairment. If you have a diagnosis for any condition on the list and we can connect it to your military service, we can build a case that you are entitled to VA disability benefits. However, this list is not exhaustive and we will assess any situation on a case-by-case basis.
Here are a few of the visual impairments for which VA offers disability benefits:
- Loss of eyesight
- Blurred vision
- Double vision
- Tunnel vision (loss of peripheral vision)
- Loss of light perception
Vision issues can also lead to other health problems, such as poor balance, headaches, and sensitivity to light. We can order medical examinations to document all conditions that might be related to your visual eyesight impairment and use them to argue for the highest possible disability rating.
Do I Need a Lawyer To Obtain VA Disability for Visual Eyesight Impairment?
It is possible to apply for VA disability without a lawyer. However, working with a qualified VA disability attorney can offer a better chance of a favorable outcome. VA’s rules are complex and intricate, and their decisions often seem random.
VA denies many veterans the compensation to which they believe they are entitled despite a valid diagnosis and a seemingly clear connection to military service. The reasons for denials are not always clear.
The attorneys at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick have over 25 years of experience, and we know what to expect when presenting your case to VA. We can take the burden off your shoulders and handle the entire process for you, keeping you in the loop every step of the way. Call us today for a free consultation: 401-331-6300.
