Bluestein Attorneys | Blog

While traumatic brain injuries may make the national news headlines when it involves beloved NFL players, what's often lost in these news articles is the reality that traumatic brain injuries are shockingly common and have many different causes. These injuries can leave the injured and their loved ones wondering what they can do if they've suffered a traumatic brain injury in their own lives.

Today, we're going to take a few minutes to walk you through TBI, its possible effects, and steps you may be able to take to help your injured family member or loved one in their fight to protect their rights.

At Bluestein Attorneys, we've worked with military servicemembers of all stripes — those just back from a new deployment, vets who served during the first Gulf War, Korean war veterans, Vietnam veterans... the list goes on. While many Vietnam veterans have heard about the herbicide Agent Orange and its use during their time serving overseas, did you know Korean war vets may also have been exposed? The long-term effects of Agent Orange have only recently been acknowledged and truly understood, and it's important for military veterans who are dealing with hard-to-pinpoint physical issues to know whether or not they may have been exposed during their time in service.

If you, or someone you love, has developed cancer after being exposed to toxic firefighting foam, please call us right away.

In the 1960s, researchers for the U.S. Navy began testing a new form of firefighting foam that would extinguish flames quite rapidly. Just a decade later, in the 1970s, this type of foam was being used widely, across most military bases in the United States, as well as at a slew of airports, fire departments, and oil refineries. This foam, commonly known as Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was designed to put out burning jet fuel.

Whether you suspect you may have been exposed to radiation during your time serving in the United States military, or you know for sure you were subject to at least some radiation exposure, it can be hard to know where to begin when it comes to filing for disability benefits. We've put together some basic information to help you when it comes to filing your claim.

From strained back muscles to broken bones, orthopedic injuries can be serious and cause major issues for veterans.

 Veterans Affairs has recently announced the largest single change to VA Disability claims in decades, discontinuing its Rapid Appeals Modernization Program (or RAMP), in order to fully implement the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization (VAIM) Act, which took effect on February 19, 2019.

What does the change to the VA Disability appeals process mean for disabled veterans currently waiting for a decision or considering filing an appeal? We've broken down the details to give you a closer look.

Data Indicates Many Veterans are Suffering from Smoke Exposure Due to Burn Pits.

You may have heard about the Burn Pit Registry, but what exactly is it? Burn pits were a common way to get rid of waste at military sites in Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, the VA says that research does not show these burn pits caused any long-term health problems, but much like the veterans affected by Gulf War Syndrome, they are continuing to study it and have created a Burn Pit Registry to keep track of veterans exposed to the smoke and other elements. Nearly 170,000 veterans and current service members have entered information in the registry since it was launched five years ago. These numbers might be the first indication that there is a widespread problem affecting many service members with similar military service.

Gene Powell, a retired U.S. Army colonel and member of Bluestein Attorneys’ SC Veterans’ Advocates Team, was recently honored by the University of South Florida for his decades of active and reserve military service.

At Bluestein Attorneys our Veteran Affairs team features officers and former enlisted personnel.

Radiation exposure has long been a potential risk associated with military service, primarily for individuals who performed what Veterans Affairs refers to as "radiation-risk activities" (as defined in 38 CFR 3.309(d)(3)), including nuclear weapons testing, but these specific tests are not the only potential risk for those serving in the military to be exposed to harmful radiation levels.

In order to file a VA Disability claim for cancer related to radiation exposure, a veteran would need to be able to prove a connection between their cancer diagnosis and radiation exposure during military service.

Proving service-connection for radiation-related cancers can be difficult and complex. The more information you have before moving forward, the better.

Let's take a closer look at what cancers are associated with radiation exposure during military service.