Veterans Sue Federal Government Over Lack of PTSD Disability Benefits
Veterans have filed a class action lawsuit has alleging the VA has been downplaying PTSD diagnoses and reducting VA impairment ratings:
A class action lawsuit has been filed against the federal government by five veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The soldiers allege that they were illegally denied disability benefits despite being diagnosed with severe cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The soldiers were discharged by the Army after it determined that their damaged mental health left them unfit to serve. They were then assigned disability ratings well below the 50 percent figure needed to qualify for lifetime health care benefits. The complaint claims that the Army …
4 reasons why a 100% VA rating may not be enough to win Social Security benefits
A 100% impairment rating from the VA is usually terrific evidence in a Social Security disability case. While a VA rating is not binding on Social Security (Social Security does not have to agree with the VA that you are disabled), Social Security will often give strong deference to a 100% disability rating from the Department of Veteran Affairs.
However, that still does not make a case a slam dunk. A number of problems can arise which may cause Social Security to deny your case.
VA impairment ratings and Social Security disability cases
CT Blue talks about the often unspoken cost of war: veterans coming home with disabilities.
According to a new report from the Pentagon “1 in 5 American servicemen and women who have been in Iraq are coming back with brain injuries.” The same report says that “17 percent of the soldiers returning to war could have a traumatic brain injury”.
A lot of vets who apply for veteran’s benefits also apply for social security disability. If the VA makes a finding that a vet is 100% disabled, that finding is not binding on social security.
Although the VA’s rating is not binding on Social Security, …
