Va Disability Ratings By Condition

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What Is A C

VA Disability 55 Year Old Rule

A C-File is a VA claims file that contains all relevant information on a veteran. When you apply for disability benefits, the VA creates a claims file. All of the documents regarding your claim are in this file. It is important to know what is in your C-File, and you should review this information to ensure it is accurate. Typically, you can request a copy from your local VA regional office. Review this article on How to Understand the Basic Documents in Your VA Claims File to learn more about C-Files.

Contact An Experienced Disabilitylawyer Today

Although you are not required to work with alawyer when applying for veterans disability benefits or appealing a deniedclaim, doingso has advantages.

The Law Offices of Michael Hartup handles onlydisability cases. Tennessee disability attorney Michael Hartup understands theVA benefits process, and he has extensive experience helping disabled veteransget the financial help they need and deserve.

At the Law Offices of Michael Hartup we can help you file your initial application for benefits, or guide you through the appeals process if you believe your claim was wrongfully denied. The VA benefits process can be confusing, and many disabled veterans who otherwise have qualifying disabilities are denied due to simple mistakes in their applications.

To learn how we may be able to help you, please call us today at or contact us online for a free consultation. We are proud to serve veterans from the greater Jackson, Tennessee, area.

What Are Neurological Conditions And Convulsive Disorders For Va Rating Purposes

VA disabilities for Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders include conditions of the head, brain, spinal cord, nerves, and epilepsies. The nervous system is divided into two parts: the central nervous system, and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system consists of the brain, the spinal cord, and the cranial nerves. The peripheral nervous system is made up of all the nerves that travel from the spinal cord to the rest of the body.

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Iculate Matter And Respiratory Conditions

Veterans who were stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan were likely exposed to dust, sandstorms, and other environmental hazards. The dust and other particles in the environment contained what is called particulate matter. According to the EPA, particulate mater is a complex mixture made of extremely small particles and droplets. Particulate matter can be found in dust, sand, acids, organic chemicals, and even metals. Inhaling particulate matter can cause respiratory conditions and damage the lungs.

How To File A Request For An Increased Va Disability Rating

VA Math  Military Disability Made Easy  #1 in Veterans Disability

Your disability may worsen at some point. Perhaps you are experiencing more pain, experiencing new symptoms, or finding that your existing disability is causing other problems.

You may have knee pain because of your service-related back injury, which causes you to favor one leg over the other.

The process for requesting an increase is usually the same as when you first applied for benefits. You must provide evidence that your condition has worsened, and private or VA doctors can provide this evidence.

For your private doctor to share your medical information with the VA, you must submit a VA Form 21-4142.

If you go to a civilian doctor as part of the Veterans Choice program, the VA Form 21-4142 may not be necessary, but it is never a bad idea to have one on hand.

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Apply For A Disability Rating

    https://www.va.gov/files/2021-11/disability-quick-start-guide.pdf
    Apply for a Disability Rating This guide will help you submit a disability claim and obtain a disability rating. This rating is between 0%100%. Your rating may give you access to certain VA benefits, such as compensation and on-going health care. A checklist to help you file your disability claim and get your disability rating: 1 PREPARATION

Musculoskeletal Conditions And Va Disability Rating Percentages

These include strains, sprains, arthritis, reduced flexion, and reduced functionality in arms, legs, back, and neck. Most former infantry will not be surprised to learn that knee and ankle injuries were among the most commonly-approved claims.

To be considered for disability benefits for a musculoskeletal disorder or injury, youll want to be able to show some persistent and recurring symptoms. Common symptoms of musculoskeletal injuries or disorders include:

  • Injuries in other areas of the body .

If you are rated for any of these issues as a primary medical condition, you may be able to put in a VA disability application for a musculoskeletal issue. Depending on the circumstances, this could get you another 10% to 20% added to your disability rating.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of these claims receive a VA disability rating of 20% or less.

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Can You Get Va Benefits For These Skin Conditions

These skin conditions are common among veterans and are eligible for VA benefits. The amount of skin affected determines the VA rating for skin conditions. The rating schedule provides two methods for calculating and estimating the amount of skin that is affected.

Skin area calculations take the affected surface area into account. Skin area estimations, on the other hand, take into consideration the percentage, or amount, of skin that is affected.

Constrictive Bronchiolitisdiagnostic Codes 6600

When Do VA Disability Ratings Become Permanent?

Constrictive Bronchiolitis is a small airway fibrotic respiratory disease characterized by the inflammation of small airways. Sufferers of CB often have persistent cough and dyspnea.

CB is very difficult to diagnose and extremely uncommon. People with CB can have shortness of breath when they exert themselves, but also have normal chest X-rays and pulmonary functioning test results. CB is often diagnosed as chronic pulmonary obstructive disease . To correctly diagnose CB, veterans must undergo a surgical lung biopsy, an invasive procedure that can confirm their diagnosis. Since CB is uncommon and difficult to diagnose, unfortunately, VA frequently rates veterans with this condition incorrectly.

This condition has affected many post-9/11 veterans and has been linked to veterans exposed to sulfur mine fires and burn pits.

  • Per Training Letter 10-03, Constrictive Bronchiolitis is rated analogously to:

This condition must be given extraschedular consideration when the veterans constrictive bronchiolitis impacts their ability to work.

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Va Disability For Tinnitus

Tinnitus is better known as a ringing in the ear syndrome. Many veterans are familiar with it from firing weapons without hearing protection or being near explosions: Its routine to experience a high-pitched ringing in the ear for a few seconds after being exposed to very loud noises.

f you have tinnitus, you hear sounds that dont exist internally, and you hear them persistently, over long periods of time. The sounds may include ringing, clicking, roaring, humming, or hissing. It can occur with ordinary age-related hearing loss.

The VA may pay benefits for tinnitus, but the highest rating you can receive for tinnitus alone is 10%. Disability compensation professionals regard tinnitus as a low value claim for this reason. But if you have other service-connected medical issues, you may qualify for a higher disability rating, as VA doctors combine your tinnitus rating with other ratings.

However, tinnitus is among the easiest VA disability benefits to get approved. If you have an existing condition that has been proven to be service-connected, tinnitus can help to increase your total disability rating, granting you additional compensation.

First, its subjective. Theres no definitive test for it. Unlike other conditions that can only be approved if there is a good deal of objective medical evidence for the claim, tinnitus is on the honor system. If you say you have tinnitus, its impossible to disprove it with medical evidence alone.

Is It Possible To Receive A 100% Disability Rating

The VA makes achieving a 100% disability rating difficult, but not impossible. However, the VA will pay certain veterans 100% disability compensation, even if the VA has not rated their service-related disabilities at the total level. This compensation program is known as Total Disability for Individual Unemployability , and it was established for disabled veterans who are unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment because of their service-related disability.

Individual unemployability requires the veteran to have one disability rated at 60% or more or, if more than one disability exists, one disability ratable at 40% or more with a combined rating of 70% or more. The VA will grant TDIU benefits to veterans who dont meet the rating requirements, though the evidentiary requirement is slightly higher.

If you have been unable to find and keep a job that provides substantially gainful employment, then it may be in your best interests to explore TDIU. The veterans disability lawyers at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers can help you compile evidence the VA requires for the maximum disability rating. This may include job records and affidavits from former and/or prospective employers, as well as medical records and expert vocational consultant reports.

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What Are The Most Common Va Ratings By Condition

Heres a list of the Top 10 Common VA Disability Claims, along with their average VA ratings:

  • #1 Tinnitus rated at 10% or $165.92 per month

Examples Of Combining Two Disabilities

Va Disability Calculator Chart

If a Veteran has a 50 percent disability and a 30 percent disability, the combined value will be found to be 65 percent, but the 65 percent must be converted to 70 percent to represent the final degree of disability.

Similarly, with a disability of 40 percent, and another disability of 20 percent, the combined value is found to be 52 percent, but the 52 percent must be converted to the nearest degree divisible by 10, which is 50 percent.

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Am I Eligible To Use This Tool

You can view your disability ratings online if you got a decision notice from us in the mail confirming your disability rating.

Note: This tool doesnt include ratings for any disability claims that are still in process. You can check the status of pending claims with the claim status tool.

Fourth Most Common Va Disability: Scars

Veterans can receive service connection for scars that result from their time in military service, or from service-connected conditions that required surgery. When considering scars, it is common to think of gunshot and/or combat wounds as the cause. However, it is often more common to see scars as secondary to surgeries, as mentioned above. Veterans with service-connected orthopedic conditions may undergo surgery that results in a scar.

About 1 million veterans are service connected for scars, making it one of the most common service-connected disabilities. VA disability ratings for scars, however, are usually fairly low as the criteria to get above a 0 percent rating is very difficult. About 76.6 percent of veterans are rated at 0 percent for skin conditions, while 18.1 percent of veterans have a 10 percent disability rating for skin conditions.

To qualify for the 10 percent rating, veterans must have more than one or two scars that are painful or unstable . This tends to be uncommon. VA does not rate scars based on where they are located, but the percentage of the body that is covered by the scars. Overall, scars affect nearly 10 percent of all veterans.

When providing evidence for service connection or increased rating claims for scars, it may be helpful to include clear, in-color photographs. Providing both the VA examiners and adjudicators detailed evidence of your scars may influence the final rating.

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Three Criteria Required For Va Disability Approval

To win your VA disability compensation claim, you must demonstrate three things:

  • a medical diagnosis,
  • a connection to active duty military service , and
  • medical evidence of recurring or persistent symptoms.

If you dont score on each of these criteria, you wont get approved for VA disability or compensation benefits.

Va Claims List: What Are The Top 10 Va Claims And Their Ratings

Compensation 101: How did I get this rating?

Heres a list of the top 10 most common VA claims and their VA claim percentages:

  • #1. Tinnitus: rated at 10%
  • #2. Limitation of Flexion of the Knee: rated at 10%
  • #3. Hearing Loss: rated at 0%
  • #4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder : rated at 70%
  • #5. Lumbosacral or Cervical Strain: rated at 10%
  • #6. Paralysis of the Sciatic Nerve : rated at 20%
  • #7. Scars, General: rated at 0%
  • #8. Limitation of Range of Motion of the Ankle: rated at 10%
  • #9. Limitation of Motion of the Arm: rated at 10%
  • #10. Migraines : rated at 30%

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Ninth Most Common Va Disability: Migraines

Migraines, the ninth most common VA disability, are recurring, intense, and frequent headaches that can be completely debilitating. Often they cause people to lock themselves in a room with complete darkness and no sound. Furthermore, they prevent people from working and going about their day-to-day activities. Service-connected migraines are rated under diagnostic code 8100 based on the frequency, severity, duration, and impact on daily life. All these factors are outlined in the rating criteria and incorporated into how VA evaluates the veterans migraine condition.

In addition to direct service connection, veterans may also receive service connection for their migraines on a secondary basis. Namely, if the veteran has a separate service-connected condition that then causes or aggravates their migraine condition, secondary service connection may be warranted. For example, a veterans orthopedic condition is so painful that over time it leads to intense migraine headaches. Here, the veteran may be able to link their migraine headaches to their service-connected orthopedic condition in order to receive VA disability benefits. Another common example involves migraine headaches resulting from service-connected traumatic brain injury .

Service-connected migraines are rated under diagnostic code 8100 based on the frequency, severity, duration, and impact on daily life. The rating criteria are as follows:

Oil Well Fires And Respiratory Conditions

During the Persian Gulf War, Iraqi military forces set fire to over 600 oil wells in Kuwait. These fires created a massive environmental hazard and burned for eight months. As a result, soot and dirt were released into the air and inhaled. Inhaling these hazards, especially over that long period of time, caused a host of serious respiratory issues.

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Veterans Disability Compensation Rates

    https://www.va.gov/disability/compensation-rates/veteran-rates/
    68.00. 50% disability rating 86.00. 60% disability rating 102.00. Find the dependent status in the left column that best describes you. Then look for your disability rating in the top row. Your monthly basic rate is where your dependent status and disability rating meet.

The Job Of The Rating Activity

We Analyzed 4.7 Million Veterans with a VA Rating: Heres What We ...

After all development actions are complete, the cross-functional team VSR refers the claim to the team RSVR for a rating. The RSVR reviews all the evidence associated with the claim, makes decisions on issues raised by the claimant, and identifies any inferred issues that should be addressed. The rater documents the rating decision in a standard format, using an automated rating preparation system called Rating Board Automation 2000. The system automatically calculates the disability rating. After completing the rating decision, the team completes the claim for follow-up and issue. This process implements the rating decision by preparing either a monetary award or a denial. It also prepares notification letters for the claimant and representative.

When performing a rating evaluation, RVSRs consider all evidence associated with the claim. This includes service medical records, VA medical examination records, clinical summaries from VA medical centers where treatment has been provided to the veteran, and evidence provided from private sources, such as the veteran’s treating physician.

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Cfr Book C Schedule For Rating Disabilities

Increase Your Va Disability Rating

If you have been approved for VA disability benefits, you can at any time request an increase in the VA rating for your disability. This may be needed because as veterans age their service-connected conditions could worsen over time. A change in your medical condition can in some cases result in the need to seek an increase.

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Additional Va Ratings Above 100 Percent

Under the traditional rating scale for compensation, 100 percent is the highest rating you will receive for either an individual service-connected condition or combined service-connected conditions. However, there are certain circumstances in which veterans can receive additional forms of compensation due to particularly severe conditions. For example, special monthly compensation is awarded to veterans who have severe disabilities that bring them above and beyond the schedular rating criteria.

Va Ratings For Shoulder Replacements

How to Increase VA Disability Rating from 60 to 100%

Shoulder replacements are evaluated under Diagnostic Code 5051. If the entire shoulder joint has been replaced by a prosthetic device, the condition is rated at 100 percent for one month after being discharged from the hospital following the replacement. After the one-year period, the condition is then given a permanent rating.

Specifically, if there is weakness and severe pain with motion, then it is rated 60 percent for the dominant arm and 50 percent for the non-dominant arm. If there are occasional periods of weakness, pain, or limited motion then the condition should be rated analogously either under Diagnostic Code 5002 or 5203 , whichever most closely describes the veterans symptoms.

The final diagnostic code for this rating will either look like 5051-5002 or 5051-5203, where the first four-digit code defines the condition as a shoulder replacement, and the second code tells how the condition is rated. Importantly, the minimum rating for any total shoulder replacement is 30 percent for the dominant arm and 20 percent for the non-dominant arm.

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