Post-Traumatic stress disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is not only a signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but is a signature injury in every war. The number of cases is astronomical. The size and scope of PTSD cases have resulted in the VA creating a system of evaluating VA disability claims and rating PTSD that is absolutely flawed. The VA frequently improperly denies claims for PTSD or minimizes the ratings. Below we will provide you with information on various ways the VA is not fairly evaluating PTSD claims and denying veterans the benefits they so rightly deserve.

Protect yourself and get the disability rating you deserve by discussing your claim with a VA disability advocate to represent you each step of the way. Contact us to see how we can help.

Read further to learn more, or check out our other PTSD pages:

• What is PTSD?
• Symptoms of PTSD
• PTSD New Rules
• Common Mistakes the VA Makes in PTSD Claims

We also welcome you to contact our veterans disability advocates to talk about your situation and how we can help.

VA Common Mistakes in PTSD Claims

VMilitary Service Requirements

Even with the law change in 2010 eliminating the requirement that veterans prove exposure to stressful events in most combat situations, the VA still frequently requires veterans to produce evidence of being in a combat zone, etc. It also still unfairly places the burden on veterans to prove the stressful events in non-combats situations. This is absurdly unfair because veterans frequently are able to produce this evidence. The VA also fails to understand the signs and symptoms of these conditions demonstrated in service. We may be able to help.

VA Examinations

As part of the evaluation of PTSD claims, the VA will send you for a VA Examination, typically by a VA psychologist. This person is an employee or a contractor of the VA. It has been our experience that these examiners regularly misdiagnose cases of PTSD as being a different and non-service related condition resulting in a denial of the claim. The examiners also regularly fail to consider non-VA and non-medical evidence showing the severity of the symptoms resulting in the VA examiners concluding that even if there is a diagnosis of PTSD, the condition is mild at best, resulting in a low rating.

Unemployability

The VA constantly fails to inform veterans who are unable to work due to their PTSD (or any combination of PTSD and other service-connected conditions) that they may qualify for Total Disability due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU) commonly referred to as unemployability. Unemployability entitles the veteran to a 100% rating.

The best guarantee to protect yourself from the above mistake is to have a VA disability advocate who is familiar with all types of mental impairments to accompany you and represent you each step of the way. Veterans Help Group has championed this specific area in veterans’ rights and disability benefits. Work with our firm to make sure you receive an appropriate disability rating.

Personality Disorders — The Military & VA’s Dirty Little Secret

Under current VA regulations, a veteran is not entitled to receive service-connected disability benefits for a personality disorder because the condition exists prior to military service — typically showing up during childhood. However, it’s not surprising that the military has a long history of misdiagnosing these conditions and/or using a “personality disorder” diagnosis as a basis for separating a service member without having to provide any benefits. The military also used (or abused) the “personality disorder” diagnosis to allow service members to leave the service, all the while unknowingly losing potential benefits. In many of these cases, the service members were actually suffering from other mental disorders including PTSD, anxiety disorder, depression, schizophrenia, etc., that entitle them to service-connected disability benefits. If you have been denied because you were diagnosed with a personality disorder you should contact us to discuss your case.

How Can We Help?

The best guarantee to protect yourself from the above mistakes is to have someone on your side who is familiar with tricks the VA pulls and how to combat those tricks. Veterans Help Group has been fighting this PTSD battle with the VA for over twenty years. Check out Our Recent Victories and see what our former clients have to say in our Testimonials. Contact us at (727) 274-9217 or complete our form for a free evaluation of your case.