VA Disability Claims: An Often Overlooked Benefit Source

Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

Our military and public service veterans deserve our best. Guest Alex Dell is a longtime Workers’ Compensation and Veterans Affairs compensation attorney, often representing injured public servants or military veterans. He’s also a former Division One hockey referee. In both roles, Dell explains how taking a broad view is crucial.

The key, he says, is to avoid “tunnel vision.” Learn to see issues from multiple angles. Take in the whole picture. In hockey, keep an eye out for penalties behind the play, and when a worker is hurt, especially a military veteran, watch for multiple claims to pursue as you seek to best represent your client.

When we talk about veterans’ claims, we’re looking at three areas: pension benefits, compensation for injuries, and “DIC” benefits, the dependency and indemnity claims for families who lost a loved one or who have a loved who was disabled. It can get tricky, and there are unscrupulous “representatives” eager to trick potential clients into making payments that are already covered by the compensation programs.

Representing public servants and veterans is nuanced. Some disabilities aren’t physical. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may not be evident at first but can manifest itself later. That’s still a real disability, and vets deserve compensation to help them recover. Some veterans may not even know help is available even a decade or more after service. And clients may also not understand a VA “denial” isn’t the end of the road. There are alternatives and appeals.

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Mentioned in This Episode:

Pro Hac Vice

Article, “Presumptive Evidence Of Causation In Workers’ Compensation Claims Related To World Trade Center Rescue, Recovery And Cleanup Operations”

“Your Intent to File a VA Claim,” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

“The Michigan Goal,” YouTube