Legal Help for Veterans blog.
News and Press
A Detroit VA hospital nurse was arrested after she was discovered stealing genuine COVID-19 vaccination cards and selling them. Bethann Kierczak was a registered nurse at a Detroit VA hospital. Because she administered COVID-19 vaccines to VA patients, she had access to blank vaccination cards. She would carefully take the cards when she could and […]
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News and Press
Recently introduced legislation, called the True Cost of War Recognition Act (TCWR), recognizes that numerous respiratory conditions and cancers suffered by veterans of the Persian Gulf and post-9/11 eras are linked to toxic burn pit exposure. The dangers of exposure to burn pits have been discussed for years after many veterans who served in areas […]
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News and Press
A common chemical firefighting foam used since the 1970s by the military to extinguish fuel fires has been linked to numerous cancers and other conditions. Many veteran firefighters who now suffer from health problems potentially related to exposure to this foam have been denied disability benefits from the VA despite evidence that supports a link […]
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News and Press
On June 7th, the Supreme Court announced it is up to Congress on deciding whether to change the draft registration law requiring only men to register for the draft. It’s one of the few areas of federal law where men and women are still treated differently. In recent years, bills to require women to register […]
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Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press, Veterans Law
On May 27, 2021, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that they would be adding three new presumptive conditions to the list of Agent Orange exposure disability. The three conditions; Bladder Cancer, Hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonism were added as provisions under the Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283). Bladder cancer is a […]
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News and Press
Honey bees and veterans might seem like a bit of an odd couple. Still, according to several programs designed to teach former military members about beekeeping, they might be perfect for one another. Whether as a new hobby or a full-time business, beekeeping can be an excellent opportunity for veterans, especially disabled ones. As far […]
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News and Press
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) recently unveiled the new “Go For Broke” commemorative stamp honoring World War II veterans representing the all-Japanese American 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442 Regimental Combat Team from Kauai. The “Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers of World War II” stamp honors the second-generation Japanese Americans, or Nisei, who fought […]
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Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press
On May 14, 2021, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced they would be readjudicating disability claims that were denied prior to the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2020. Previously, a veteran would have had to serve boots on the ground in Vietnam or on the inland […]
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News and Press
According to a study published in Neurology, veterans with a traumatic brain injury are significantly more likely to experience long-term sleep problems. The longitudinal cohort study involved nearly 200,000 veterans who were receiving care through VA health care. One group of 98,709 veterans who had suffered a TBI between October 2001 and September 2015 were […]
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News and Press
Mefloquine is an antimalarial drug heavily prescribed by the military for troops deployed in areas where malaria is common. It is now associated with serious and lasting side effects and has since been largely discontinued for use by the military. Mefloquine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1989. By 1992 when […]
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