Sleep Disorder Benefits for Veterans

VA Disability Benefits Attorneys in South Portland, Maine

Veterans have dedicated their lives to serving the country, which is why they deserve to be duly compensated. It is quite common to witness veterans age without proper compensation, unable to sustain their daily living expenses. Many even end up as homeless veterans. Due to their age and experiences, veterans become more susceptible to plenty of illnesses and conditions and one of them is sleeplessness.

Sleeplessness is quite common amongst Americans, with one out of three experiencing an array of these in their lifetime. A lack of sleep has effects on one’s physical and mental well-being, ranging from irritability and lack of concentration to a diminishing immune system, it goes without saying that sleep truly benefits one’s health. According to research, around 50% of veterans suffer from sleep disorders, particularly insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea. This isn’t surprising given their line of work which is physically exhausting and emotionally taxing.

Insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea are disorders veterans have but often go undiagnosed, leading to a lifetime of suffering. Not many doctors can easily spot the symptoms, hence treatment isn’t always available. Sleep disorder claims are challenging to file which is why they need to enlist the help of a sleep disorder veterans disability benefits attorney that can show them how to file for disability claims and ensure they get the rightful compensation to solve their condition.

If you or a loved one is a veteran who is currently experiencing trouble sleeping, contact a South Portland, Maine veteran’s benefits law firm for their veteran services to walk you through the entire process.

What are Disability Benefits?

Veterans disability pay is a tax-free monthly payment that the Department of Veteran Affairs pays to veterans who have been injured or acquired an illness during their service. Veterans are eligible to receive disability benefits if they are currently experiencing conditions that military service has exacerbated.

If you are a veteran or have a loved one who has served in the military, ensure that the rightful benefits are being received. Should you encounter any problems in filing for claims, seek the legal guidance of a South Portland veteran’s benefits lawyer to smoothen out any concerns.

What qualifies a veteran for benefits?

Veterans must meet the ADA’s definition of disabled. According to the ADA, the veteran:

• Has a physical or mental disability that hinders them from one or more life activities
• Possesses a record of said impairment on the veteran’s health

Certain illnesses such as traumatic brain injury and tuberculosis may or may not qualify depending on the ADA’s definition. Sleep disorders are often overlooked, hence plenty of veterans are encountering trouble when filing for disability claims. Should you have a sleeping disorder, enlist the help of a sleep disorder VA disability benefits attorney to get the compensation you need and help restore your quality of life.

What are the sleep disorders veterans face?

Sleep disorders that veterans typically face include sleep apnea and insomnia. Sleep apnea is a condition wherein one’s breathing is hindered and can be categorized as: obstructive, central, or complex. Symptoms include daytime fatigue, snoring, and gasping for air to name a few. Sleep apnea is rated as 50% disabling.

Another sleep disorder veterans typically face is insomnia. Insomnia is characterized as the difficulty of initiating or maintaining sleep. Insomnia can severely affect one’s ability to function and make them unable to work, hence it may qualify them for disability.

Veterans are urged to seek the help of a sleep disorder VA disability attorney to help them with any hurdles they might encounter when seeking disability claims. The veteran benefits attorney can guide them through the process and ensure a fair outcome.

Do sleep disorders count as a disability?

The eligibility of a particular condition depends on a set of requirements. Sleep disorders are no exception. For insomnia, the veteran must be rated from 0-100 depending on the results. In order to qualify the sleeping disorder for a disability, the veteran must present a sleeping diagnosis for insomnia or sleep apnea. Medical records are also necessary to emphasize the gravity of their condition.

Veterans must also prove their entitlement to service connection which in simple terms means that they have to showcase a connection between their sleep disorder and their active duty service. Part of this documentation is indicating an incident wherein their disability interfered with their service.

To solidify their claim, veterans can also enlist the assistance of eyewitnesses such as fellow veterans, family caregivers, or spouses who have attested to seeing how their sleep disorders have affected their ability to function.

Veterans are urged to contact a veteran benefits attorney to smoothen out the legal processes involved in getting due compensation. An expert attorney offering legal representation for them can heighten their chances of getting the compensation benefits they deserve.

How Does One Increase their Disability Rating?

If the veteran has been given a rating after applying for disability that doesn’t amount to the severity of the condition or if their symptoms are worsening, veterans can file an increased rating. They can do the following:

• File an appeal within the deadlines
• File a new claim with increased rating
• File for Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability. (if the service-linked disability hinders veteran from finding gainful employment)
• File for Secondary Service Connection (if the veteran has symptoms resulting from an already existing service-connected disability)

Navigating disability claims can be tough and veterans might find themselves settling for something incompatible with their condition. For a smooth-sailing claim filing process, enlist the help of a sleep disorder VA disability benefits attorney to get the rightful compensation.

How Does One File an Appeal for a VA Decision?

Appealing for a VA decision must be aligned with the Appeals Modernization Act of 2019 which gives three filing options, namely:

• Requesting a higher-level review
• Submitting evidence as part of a supplement claim
• Filing a notice of disagreement

Seek Legal Advice from a VA Disability Attorney

If you or a loved one is a veteran dealing with a medical condition such as sleep disorders, you must file a claim in order to get the benefits you deserve. Seek the legal assistance of the seasoned veteran’s benefits attorneys at Jackson MacNichol by contacting them at (888) 492-2941 to aid you with the appeal process. The attorneys can be your disability advocates and walk you through the veteran’s benefit process from the required paperwork to the filing and help you gain compensation for your sleeping disorder in order to get your life back on track.