Trusted Veterans Disability Attorney Ensures Long-Term TBI Benefits

A number of service men and women who served their time in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have reportedly suffered from traumatic brain injury (TBI), a serious condition that can lead to a lifetime of pain and suffering when left untreated or unchecked. Data from the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center showed that more than 320,000 service members were found to be suffering from TBI between the years 2000 and 2014, and though the numbers have decreased since 2011, service members are still at risk of acquiring TBI as armed conflict in these countries continues.

Suffering from TBI is one factor that makes a veteran eligible for disability benefits. Yet with the help of a trusted veterans disability attorney, war veterans and their loved ones can still obtain benefits that are intended precisely to help the nation’s valiant sons and daughters recuperate from the damages they have sustained.

Long-Term Effects of TBI

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the complications arising from TBI depend on the severity of the injury though typically affect one’s physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral health. As the years pass, TBI sufferers might develop depression and anxiety, exhibit aggression and personality changes, and display social inappropriateness, all of which could herald more serious mental problems such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) considers TBI sufferers a priority since they can sustain these injuries not only during military service but even after they have served their time. The DVBIC further stated that TBI is common among veterans in their 70s or 80s.

Disability Claims

Before, there were strict guidelines as to the eligibility of veterans who had sustained TBIs, something that the public had criticized. In line with this, the VA had proposed new guidelines, expanding benefits to five more illnesses related to service-connected TBI. Under the new guidelines, Parkinson’s disease, unprovoked seizures, certain types of dementia, depression, and hormone deficiency diseases (all diagnosed as moderate to severe TBI) will be presumed service connected.

To ensure verify whether TBI was acquired in connection to active service, the VA will collate the veteran’s MRI or PET scans and determine a score based on the Glasgow Coma Scale, among many others. This is just the beginning, however, of a longer fight for benefits. For this reason, seeking the help of an experienced disability benefits attorney such as Jan Dils, Attorney at Law is necessary to get the compensation a war veteran truly deserves.

(Source: Traumatic Brain Injuries still an ongoing battle for America’s military, Standard Examiner)

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