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The Ultimate Guide: VA Service Connection and How to Obtain It

To qualify for veteran disability benefits, you must prove two things: 

• That you suffer from a disabling medical condition, and
• That your disabling connection is service-connected

You’ll have to provide additional documentation to help the VA establish your disability rating, but that goes to the degree of disability and the types and amounts of compensation you may be entitled to. 

What Does “Service Connected” Mean to the VA? 

To prove that a condition is service-connected, you must show that: 

• Your disability is caused by an illness you contracted or an injury you suffered while serving in the military (an “in service” claim), or
• Your military service aggravated a pre-existing illness or injury (a “pre-service” claim), or
• Your disability is related to your active-duty service, even though you became disabled later

Note that the standard here is “while on active duty.” This is an important point because not every veteran realizes that an injury sustained during military service may lead to a service-connected disability even if the service member wasn’t performing military duties at the time of the injury. For example, a soldier on active duty who was injured in an automobile accident while driving to the grocery store and suffers long-term limitations may have a service-connected disability based on that event.

The VA also recognizes secondary service-connected conditions (described in greater detail below). But, secondary service connection comes into play only when a primary service-connected disability has been established.  

Proving Service Connection

It’s up to the veteran applicant to demonstrate a service connection. Exactly what is required to establish the service connection depends on the specifics of the case. Generally, this will include: 

• Evidence of the event or exposure that caused your disability, which may be assembled from service records, witness accounts, or other sources, and
• Evidence that the event or exposure was the cause of your disabling condition, which may take the form of: 
• Military medical records that show the connection between the incident or exposure and the onset or aggravation of symptoms, and/or
• Other medical records, and/or
• Medical research showing a link between your condition and the event or exposure you are claiming triggered your disabling condition

For some types of disabilities, the connection may be demonstrable. These are typically injury-related conditions, such as the loss of a limb in combat. Other types may be more complicated, such as conditions that develop after separation from service, or those that result from toxic or repetitive exposures rather than a clearly and readily identifiable incident. In these situations, it is particularly helpful to work with an experienced veterans disability benefits advocate from the beginning. A seasoned advocate can help assemble the type of evidence the VA is looking for in connection with a particular type of injury or illness. 

Presumptive Service Connections

In some cases, a service connection is presumed. That means that if the veteran can prove certain facts–usually that they served in a particular area during a particular time and suffer from one of a list of presumptively-connected conditions–the VA will presume that their condition is service-connected. 

One high-profile example is the long list of presumptive conditions recently created by the PACT Act. Under the 2022 law, veterans who served in several areas where service members were routinely exposed to burn pits have been granted a presumptive service connection for more than 20 medical conditions, including several types of cancer and many respiratory conditions. Another example that’s gotten a lot of attention is the creation of a list of presumptive conditions–including several types of cancer–for service members who lived and/or worked at Camp LeJeune during the time when the water supply was contaminated.

Updates to the PACT Act in 2025

But, there are many different presumptively connected conditions that you may not be familiar with. For example, there is a long list of both mental and physical health conditions that are presumed service-connected for veterans who were prisoners of war. Service members who served in tropical locations and were later diagnosed with one of several listed tropical diseases have a presumed service connection if the condition emerges within one year of serving in that location. 

If you’re not sure whether your condition is presumed service-connected or what type of information you may need to submit to secure veteran benefits, talk to one of our experienced veteran disability benefits advocates. Putting together the strongest possible application from the start can improve your chances of approval and help secure disability benefits sooner. 

Secondary Service Connections

The process for proving a secondary service connection is a bit different because a secondary connection isn’t a connection directly to your military service. Instead, it’s a connection to another disabling condition that is service-connected. 

For example, depression may be secondary to a traumatic brain injury (TBI). To qualify for veteran disability benefits based on depression triggered by TBI, the veteran would first have to establish a disability based on a service-connected TBI. The veteran would also have to establish that they suffered from disabling depression and that the depression was connected to their service-connected TBI. 

As with primary service connections, some secondary service connections are presumed. For example, in the scenario above, depression would be presumptively connected to the service-connected TBI if the onset was within a specific time period after the injury. Other conditions that are presumptively secondary to TBI include: 

• Parkinsonism, including Parkinson’s disease, following a moderate or severe TBI
• Unprovoked seizures following a moderate or severe TBI
• Certain types of dementia, with onset within 15 years of moderate or severe TBI
• Certain hormone deficiency diseases, if they onset within 12 months of a moderate or severe TBI

As you can see, the criteria and evidence required to establish a secondary service connection vary considerably, even between conditions secondary to the same primary condition.

Talk to an Experienced VA Disability Benefits Advocate Right Away

At Veterans Help Group, our disability advocates assist veterans and their dependents at all levels of the application and appeals process. Knowing what type of evidence the VA is looking for and how to present it can make all the difference. And, you can miss out on benefits if you don’t realize that secondary conditions may be service-connected or provide sufficient medical evidence to get the appropriate disability rating. So, the best time to get help is before you apply. But, if you’ve already been denied, we may still be able to help. 

Call us now at (855) 855-8992 to learn more or contact us here now.