An increasing number of veterans today are filing claims for disability compensation

based on significant injuries to their ankles, backs, and knees as a result of their military service. These claims are not only from paratroopers, but also from servicemen and women who had active jump duties as a part of their service. Often, initially, the injuries went unreported as the active military men and women wanted to stay on active duty and not be removed from their jump rotations. The injuries are not limited to just the ones mentioned in this paragraph or to one particular branch of service.

Unfortunately, knowing the injury is a result of your service is not enough to prove your case for benefits. You need to be able to file your claim, support it with evidence, and possibly go through an extensive appeals process to be able to gain access to the benefits you need. We understand, through our extensive experience, preparing an appeals claims for service-connected disability, the situation that you are facing in your claim for benefits.

While your injury may be obvious to anyone who sees you, it does not have to be. In fact, what many veterans and their loved ones do not realize is that this tax-free money may also be paid when a disability is not a direct result of a wartime disease or injury. As the Department of Veterans Affairs shares, “compensation may also be paid for post-service disabilities that are considered related or secondary to disabilities occurring in service and for disabilities presumed to be related to circumstances of military service, even though they may arise after service.”

This can hold true for veterans with ankle and knee injuries.

When it comes to service connected disability, you need to know that the benefit amount is not the same for every veteran. In fact, the benefit that may be awarded can increase due to the degree or severity of the veteran’s disability. It is on a scale that starts at ten percent and then increases in increments of ten percent, up to a full one hundred percent disability. To qualify, the VA shares that from the following statements, both must be found to be true, that you:

“Served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, and have a disability rating for your service-connected condition.”

Next, the VA shares at least one of the following must be true, that you:

“Got sick or injured while serving in the military – and can link this condition to your illness or injury (called an inservice disability claim), or Had an illness or injury before you joined the military – and serving made it worse (called a preservice disability claim), or Have a disability related to your active-duty service that didn’t appear until after you ended your service (called a postservice disability claim).”

While there is no specific time frame in which to file a claim for VA Disability Compensation benefits, we encourage you to start the process sooner rather than later. We encourage you to consider not filing alone. As a law firm run by a VA Accredited attorney, we understand the nuances of this program, as well as, the help you need. Do not hesitate to reach out to us at any time to schedule a free case evaluation about your ankle or knee injury.