Bluestein Attorneys | Blog

When a veteran applies for VA Disability benefits as a result of service-connected conditions or other concerns,, they often present reams of documentation to prove their claim to the VA.

One of the documents that you may find useful, when looking to provide supporting evidence, is a "buddy statement."

What is a VA Disability buddy statement, and when is a buddy statement important for proving your claim? Let's take a closer look.

In our initial series on VA Disability Claims, we touched on filing appeals in the case of a decision that you feel was incorrect. Today, we'd like to go a little more in-depth into what happens when you file a VA Notice of Disagreement.

We've written before about Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and the effects of the contaminated water on servicemen and their families. 

We have a quick update to share with you today regarding Camp Lejeune — the VA has officially established presumptions for the service connection of eight diseases associated with exposure to the contaminants in the water supply.

We tend to think of military veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in terms of military service in combat — that the disorder is caused by being under direct fire, subject to IEDs and their long-term effects, or just the day-to-day stress of combat possibilities.

While we've spoken before about how PTSD can occur even when you are not in direct combat during military service, there's one cause of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that can be hidden for years or even decades — military sexual trauma.

Today, we'd like to take a look at this tragically common occurrance and what you can do if you're a survivor.

For those who have served our country in the military, even if they did not directly see combat, suffering from military Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (or PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) may seem all too likely, if not inevitable.

The two disorders carry many similarities in symptoms, such as irritability, depression, hypersensitivity, memory loss, dizziness, and an increased liklihood of dealing with drug or alcohol addiction. Due to these similarities, misdiagnosis has been rampant. This has led to serious issues in ensuring military veterans and current servicemembers are able to access the correct treatment and disability that need. 

One recent study, however, suggests that it may soon be far easier for medical professionals to accurately diagnose traumatic brain injury and PTSD. What does this mean for servicemembers dealing with service-connected PTSD or TBI? Let's take a look.

Service-connected PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is unfortunately an all-too-common side effect of serving in the military.

Military servicemembers may return from deployment with symptoms ranging from low-level anxiety to nightmares, to completely debilitating fears. PTSD can keep you from being able to work or could even affect your interactions with friends and family.

What about those soldiers who aren't deployed into combat zones, however? One question we are often asked is, "Can I have PTSD if I was never in combat?"

We'd like to take a look at the answer to that question today.

As we've mentioned in earlier blogs about working with the VA, disability payments based on service-connected disability or conditions vary widely depending on the injuries or disabilities that the claim is based on, and also the context and circumstances in which the injuries or disability occurred.

Even after a claim is settled and you begin receiving regular benefits, you may have questions remaining. Some of our clients have contacted us after settlement to ask, "Can the VA reduce my benefits?" Today, we'd like to take a moment to answer the question.