Veterans who develop chronic conditions within one year after separating from active military status may qualify for disability benefits. For this reason, returning military personnel should receive medical examinations, and begin to establish written evidence of any developing or chronic condition through doctors' notes and test results. If symptoms develop, it is also important to keep a journal documenting how you feel and how any ailment affects your daily life.
For veterans, there is a legal presumption that any chronic condition that develops within a year after conclusion of military service was caused by events or conditions related to that service. Examples of chronic illnesses and conditions that have affected many veterans are the following:
- Depression, including bipolar episodes
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Lung conditions
- Back pain
- Herniated disk
- Fibromyalgia
- Diabetes
Shifrin Newman Smith Inc., with law offices in Akron, Cleveland and Toledo, welcomes inquiries from veterans of any era who suffer from chronic conditions. Even Vietnam-era veterans who separated from military service many years ago may still qualify. In many cases, it is possible to find documented evidence of a condition from the first year after they left the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force or Coast Guard. Chronic conditions often become worse over time and may develop into disabilities that make a normal work schedule untenable.
Veterans' Disability lawyers at Shifrin Newman Smith Inc. invite you to contact us to discuss your potential claim or appeal if a chronic condition developed during or soon after your military service.
Cleveland Veterans' Benefits Lawyer
Even if your case looks difficult, we won't turn you away. Some law firms will, especially if they boast of a high "success" rate. At Shifrin Newman Smith Inc., we help everyone who comes to our door.
Our lawyers will help you make the best of a bad situation. They're known for achieving successful results in cases that looked impossible. And you risk nothing by trying — if we can't get you benefits, you don't pay us.
For a free consultation to talk to an attorney about your Veterans' Disability compensation at our offices in Cleveland, Akron or Toledo, Ohio, call 877-230-5500 or contact us online.
