We know that military service can come with its fair share of challenges, and sometimes those challenges stick around long after you’ve left the field. Whether it’s a physical issue like an injury or a mental health concern like anxiety, these conditions can have a big impact on your life.

 

Moreover, wars might have taken a toll on you in more than one way, and if you’re suffering from conditions you sustained from serving on duty, you owe compensation. However, filing for a service-related claim is a process. Depending on the injuries you sustained, you must fill out the required forms and provide medical reports as evidence to ensure you get the right compensation. But don’t feel overwhelmed; the purpose of this documentation is to guarantee that you can get your rightful dues. Hence, to help you understand the claim process, here are a few things to consider before claiming a service-related condition:

 

What is a Service-Related Condition?

 

A service-related condition means any physical or mental health problem that comes from or worsens while serving in the military. These conditions may include PTSD, being anxious, depression, a severe injury, losing your hearing, getting hurt in battle, or dealing with problems from being around hazardous chemicals like asbestos. There’s this rare health issue called mesothelioma, which is caused due to extensive asbestos exposure. 

It turns out asbestos exposure has put veterans at a bigger chance of getting mesothelioma. So, if you or your loved ones are diagnosed with mesothelioma, you might qualify for some compensation. Nowadays, a bunch of groups help mesothelioma veterans and their families. They provide relevant information and support to make things easier during this tough time.

What Does the Veterans Affairs (VA) Require?

You are only eligible for compensation if you meet the three criteria highlighted by the VA. These are as follows:

 

• Event in Service. During your service, you are eligible for compensation if something injured you or aggravated your health. These include physical injuries, psychological and mental issues that can interfere with your life and require extensive treatment. While the list is exhaustive, it includes fractures, PTSD, arthritis from active duty, and gunshot wounds.

 

• A Current VA, Hospital, or Private Doctor’s Diagnosis. A medical professional needs to perform a thorough analysis to confirm you have an injury or a disease.
• A Doctor’s Opinion. The VA looks for a nexus. This is a connection between the event in service and the current diagnosis. Generally, a nexus is derived from your medical records, but if your documents are vague, you may be called in for further questioning. If you have a presumptive illness, that is, you got injured or developed a condition from active duty, you don’t need to prove your service; instead, by law, you are entitled to compensation.

 

What Evidence Is Required By the VA?

Providing evidence for your condition can help you validate your case, which supports the VA in evaluating your situation and providing you with the rightful compensation. You must provide medical and hospital records of your condition prepared by veteran affairs. The purpose of these VA medical records is to show how your claimed injuries and illnesses are related and how your condition has worsened over time. 

 

Likewise, submitting private medical records confirms your diagnosis and shows how your condition worsens with time. Finally, you need to provide supporting statements; these can be from your friends and family, who can describe your condition in more detail and how your situation got worse. Apart from these documents, the VA will also need to review your discharge papers (DD214 or any separate documentation) to scrutinize your case further. 

 

You have a year from submitting your claim to bring forth any evidence. You can also start your application and complete it later if you need to gather more supporting documents. However, ensure that you finish your application within 365 days.

How Do You File Your Claim?

You can file for compensation in many ways; you can file it through mail, in person, or online. If you choose to do it through the mail and in person, you must print the form and send it to the Department of Veterans Affairs or bring your application to your nearest Veteran’s affair office.

Do You Need to Submit an Intent to File Form?

If you’re submitting your claim through mail or in person, you must submit an intent to file form first. This gives you ample time to gather all your evidence and the documents you need to support your fully developed claim (FDC), including your service treatment records, records proving that you got treated privately, and a supporting statement from your loved ones or colleagues. An intent to file form notifies the VA that you wish to make a claim. Once you give this form, you have a year to finish your paperwork. On the other hand, if you’re doing the process online, you don’t need to file the claim’s intent.

 

Appearing for a Compensation and Pension Exam

Even after you submit all your medical records, you may still be called for a compensation and pension exam. During this process, you will not be diagnosed or treated. Instead, a doctor will review your records and establish the connection between your condition and injury. Therefore, try to be specific about your answers; tell the doctor how you got the injury, where you were injured, whether you received treatment during your service, and if your condition has worsened.

What Comes Next?

After you have submitted your claim and shown that you were injured during your service, your case will be reviewed. You go online to check if your compensation and pension claim came through. Reviewing and evaluating your case takes time, but once you submit all your paperwork, you essentially inform the VA you have no further evidence to submit. However, the process might get delayed if you present evidence after submitting your forms.

Final Thoughts

As a veteran, you are entitled to compensation, especially if you got severely injured or developed a condition while serving in the military. The injuries you sustain during your service can be very painful to deal with, so don’t be afraid to tap into the facilities that the VA offers. However, to use these services, you must complete certain forms and submit them on time, with clear evidence of your current condition. Hence, provide comprehensive details, ensure you know your illness’s cause, and submit the relevant documentation to file your claim.