Legal Help for Veterans blog.
Feb
29
leg robotic

VA’s new policy on robotic legs to help more paralyzed vets walk

Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press, Veterans Law

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will pay for robotic legs that could help many paralyzed veterans who have spinal cord injuries walk again. ReWalk Robotics makes electronic leg braces with motion sensors and motorized joints that allow individuals to stand upright and walk. The company said the VA’s decision means that injured […]

READ MORE

Feb
23
neurons brain

Over fifty percent of combat veterans suffer brain scarring

Claims Processing, Mental Health, PTSD

Combat veterans often return home with invisible wounds of war that can go undetected. Research published in December shows that more than half of wounded U.S. service members suffer a form of brain scarring due to blast injures. According to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, over 300,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic […]

READ MORE

Feb
10
slideshow soldier silhouette

Veterans Face PTS Years After Combat

Mental Health, News and Press, PTSD, Veterans Law

New research sheds light on the lingering effects that post-traumatic stress (PTS) can have on veterans long after they have returned home from deployment. A study of 1,007 Dutch soldiers has found that PTS symptoms among Afghanistan veterans spiked in the six months immediately after their return and resurfaced with greater severity five years later. […]

READ MORE

Jan
25

Survey shows thousands of wounded veterans struggle with PTS and TBI

Mental Health, PTSD

More than 75 percent of wounded veterans are battling post-traumatic stress (PTS), according to the Wounded Warrior Project’s 2015 Alumni Survey. PTS and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are two of the biggest mental health issues facing veterans today. The organization estimates that over 400,000 veterans suffer from PTS while around 320,000 are dealing with TBI. […]

READ MORE

Jan
19

Vietnam veterans with PTS are at a higher risk of death

Mental Health, News and Press, PTSD

Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress (PTS) have a twofold higher average death rate than those without the disorder. New research suggests that warzone trauma may still negatively impact veterans’ health more than three decades after the Vietnam War. A study by Abt Associates and the Cohen Veterans Center at New York University Langone Medical Center […]

READ MORE

Jan
18

Thousands of Veterans Compensation Claim Files Handled Improperly

Claims Processing, News and Press

Kristina Derro, Esq. Veteran Advocate The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) recently began to scan and digitally store the multitude of documents received from veterans during the claims process in order to increase efficiency and reduce paper waste. On its face, this idea of a paperless claims process seems to be one of those rare instances […]

READ MORE

Jan
12

Detroit named worst city for veterans to live in

Employment, Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press

Detroit, Michigan, received the worst overall ranking in WalletHub’s list of the most veteran-friendly cities in the United States in terms of standard of living. The consumer finance site compared 100 of the nation’s most populated cities against 18 criteria including housing affordability, employment growth, health facilities and the number of homeless veterans. Irvine, California, […]

READ MORE

Dec
29

Student creates app to improve sleep for veterans with PTSD

Mental Health, News and Press, PTSD

For some veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a basic good night’s sleep can often be elusive. A college student has developed a smartphone and smartwatch application that aims to help veterans by preventing night terrors, which are a major symptom of PTSD. Tyler Skluzacek, a senior at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, was […]

READ MORE

Dec
20

Wheels for Warriors program provides Michigan veterans with bicycles

Claims Processing, Employment, News and Press

Wheels for Warriors aims to help Michigan veterans who are in need of transportation. The program provides seriously injured soldiers and their families with adaptive vehicles to improve their quality of life. The program was launched by AmeriCorps and the Michigan Region 10 Veterans Community Action Team. Under the collaboration, 15 bicycles have been given […]

READ MORE

Dec
18

Camp Lejeune Veterans

Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press

Kristina Derro Veteran Advocate VA just announced today that eight medical conditions that are linked to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina from 1953 to 1987, will become presumptive disabilities allowing for service connection. Currently, Camp Lejeune veterans who had exposure to the contaminated water during that time period and have those eight conditions […]

READ MORE