Do You Qualify for Veterans Disability Insurance?

New York has the fifth largest veteran population in the nation, and the state has many programs that educate veterans on the programs available to them. It is also home to five dynamic military bases ranging from Fort Drum to Saratoga Springs NSU. With that said, many veterans are unaware of the benefits available to them.

If you were injured while in service and suffer from a disease or disability, you, as a United States Veteran, may be eligible for Veterans Disability Insurance. What is Veterans Disability Insurance? It is a monthly monetary payment from the U.S. Government, which varies depending on the injury.

To be eligible for Veterans Disability Benefits, one must be a veteran of U.S. military service, an active service member with an impending discharge between 180 and 60 days through the Benefits Delivery at Discharge program (BDD), or an active service member within 60 days of impending discharge through the BDD Quick Start claim process.

Additionally, for a veteran to qualify for veterans disability benefits, the veteran must meet all of the following criteria:

• The veteran must have a disease or disability diagnosed.
• There must have been an incident during the veteran’s active service, and
• The disability must be “service-connected,” meaning that there must be a proven causal connection between the incident and the disability or the disability must be on the *presumed connection list.

*A presumed service connection can be established when a veteran (who has served at least 90 days) develops a disability or condition of a 10% degree or greater that is presumed to be related to active service. Federal law lists the disabilities and illnesses that are presumed to result from active military service, including certain chronic illnesses, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis, Hansen’s disease, and certain tropical illnesses. The disability must appear within a certain amount of time after active service (the lengths of time vary by type of disease/disability).

If you or someone you know is a veteran who was injured while in the line of duty, you or they may be eligible for Veterans Disability Insurance. Visit the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs website to learn more about how you can apply for benefits. You can also learn more about Veteran benefits from our competent attorneys who are well-versed in these matters by contacting us here.

We are also offering Workers Compensation and Social Security Disability seminars across Upstate New York. For more information, visit our sign-up page.