Brad Andringa Veterans’ disability law plays a vital role in ensuring that those who served their country receive the benefits and support they deserve. This body of law aims to provide compensation and support to veterans who have suffered disabilities as a result of their military service. The key legislation that forms the basis of veterans’ disability law in the United States is the Veterans Benefits Act of 1957, which established the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and created a system to provide disability benefits to eligible veterans. Over the years, additional laws have been passed to expand and refine the benefits available to disabled veterans. The VA operates the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), which is responsible for evaluating disability claims and determining eligibility for compensation and other benefits. To qualify for disability benefits, a veteran My Legal Life Securing Veterans’ Disability Benefits As of last year, nearly 4.9 million US military veterans had a service-connected disability. The process of obtaining compensation for such disabilities can be long and difficult, requiring expertise and persistence on the part of legal counsel to achieve. Brad Andringa, an experienced veterans’ disability attorney, shares more about veterans’ disability benefits and their underlying legislation in this feature. MY LEGAL LIFE 29 must demonstrate that their disability or medical condition is service-connected, meaning it was caused or aggravated by their military service. Service connection in veterans’ disability benefits refers to the link established between a veteran’s current medical condition or disability and their military service. It is a critical requirement for veterans seeking compensation and healthcare benefits from the VA. Service connection recognises that a veteran’s disability or illness is a result of an injury, disease, or event that occurred during their active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training. Veterans separate from military service with a myriad of issues that can be immediate, including disabilities such as loss of limbs or injuries from combat. However, disabilities can also arise decades later after veterans experience harmful exposures during military service, including herbicides such as Agent Orange; burn pits; contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, NC; asbestos on Naval ships; ionising radiation; and firefighting foams commonly known as aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF).
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