What Impact Does a Disability Rating Have on My Orlando Veterans’ Disability Claim?
As a military veteran with an injury or medical condition that was caused by or made worse by your time in the military, you could be eligible to file for veterans’ disability benefits. To verify what type of compensation you could be eligible for, the VA will look at what’s known as your disability rating. This rating will determine your monthly compensation, so it’s very important to understand how it’s calculated.
If you believe you are eligible for veterans’ disability benefits in Florida, it’s better to contact an experienced Orlando veterans’ disability attorney first. The process of applying for benefits can be complicated. If your claim is denied, an attorney will need to help you file an appeal.
What is a Veteran Disability Rating?
Once you apply for benefits and your application has been approved, the VA assigns you a rating. Your disability rating will be somewhere between 10% and 100%. It can change, going up or down by increments of 10%. The lowest rating of 10% means your injury is the least severe. If your rating is the lowest, your compensation will reflect that. Even if you have dependents, the lowest rating won’t fluctuate and provide you with additional compensation.
Based on the most recent VA schedule, someone with a 10% disability rating would receive $142.29. If you are a single veteran with no dependents and have a 70% rating, you would receive $1,426.17. Veterans who are completely disabled and have a 100% disability rating would be entitled to receive $3,106.04.
Anyone with a disability rating over 10% could receive more if they have children or dependents. The VA also makes an annual adjustment for a cost of living increase.
What Does a Combined Disability Rating Mean?
Someone who has multiple disabilities or diseases would need proper classification. You don’t just take both percentages and add them together; otherwise, you would end up with someone who is over 100% disabled in some cases. To calculate the proper rating, the VA uses a special Combined Ratings Table.
The process of calculating your ratings may sound complex when you don’t understand how the process works. More information on the process and specific examples can be found on the VA’s Disability Ratings page.
Level of Aggravation Meaning
If you already had a disability before entering the military, but it became worse during your service, the military will compensate you for the difference. That is known as the level of aggravation. For example, take someone who initially had a 20% disability rating, but now is rated at 40%. That means their condition was aggravated by 20%, which would be the level of your rating to determine the amount of compensation you’re eligible for.
Contact an Orlando Veterans’ Disability Benefits Attorney
If you disagree with the assigned disability rating, you have the right to appeal the VA’s decision. If you plan to appeal, it’s best to work with a skilled Orlando veterans’ disability benefits attorney to assist you. Contact the Law Offices of Shea A. Fugate, P.A. today to schedule an initial consultation.
Resource:
va.gov/disability/about-disability-ratings/
https://sheafugate.com/who-is-eligible-for-veterans-disability-benefits-in-orlando/
