Social Security Disability Veteran’s PTSD

The attorneys at Stansberry Kinsley can help you get the benefits you deserve if service-related PTSD has disrupted your life. Call us toll-free at 844-327-5529 or use our online contact form. We are so confident that we can win approval of benefits for our clients that we don’t get paid unless you get the benefits you deserve.

Anyone who has gone through combat or an event that causes feelings of intense fear or helplessness can develop PTSD. This includes combat Veterans and survivors of terrorist attacks, serious accidents and physical or sexual assault. Strong emotions caused by the event create changes in the brain. The symptoms of PTSD usually start soon after the life-threatening event. But they may occur months or years later and continue for years, making it difficult to continue with daily activities.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, signs that a Veteran could be suffering from PTSD include:

• Reliving a traumatic event (“flashbacks”)
• Avoiding situations that remind you of the event
• Feeling numb or withdrawn
• Feeling on edge, jittery or on constantly on guard
• Alcohol or drug problems
• Trouble holding a job
• Relationship problems
• Feelings of hopelessness, shame or despair
• Physical symptoms.

PTSD is the most prevalent mental health disorder from combat. PTSD claims have increased sharply. From 1999 to 2007, the number of Veterans receiving compensation benefits for PTSD went from 120,000 to nearly 300,000, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs (or VA).

The VA pays disability benefits to Veterans who have been diagnosed with military-service related PTSD. But don’t take on the VA bureaucracy by yourself. It can take months or even years before you get the benefits you are entitled to if you don’t have the help of a knowledgeable PTSD Claims Attorney who understands the system.

At Stansberry Kinsley, we have helped many Veterans obtain PTSD disability benefits. That’s because we don’t take no for an answer when it comes to helping Veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country. We can help you, too.

• A clear medical diagnosis of PTSD;
• Evidence of a stressor event that occurred during military services; and
• Evidence that the stressor event is a cause of the Veteran’s PTSD.

Once a Veteran establishes to the VA’s satisfaction that his or her PTSD is service-connected, the VA will determine the level of disability associated with the individual’s disorder. For service-connected PTSD disabilities, the VA bases the amount of benefits on the degree of disability. There is a graduated scale of disability that begins at 0 percent and goes up to 10 percent, 30 percent, 50 percent, 70 percent and 100 percent. A 0 percent rating means that you have service-connected PTSD, but you are not impaired by it.

In order to decide the disability percentage, the VA uses a diagnostic test called Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF). This rating looks at how well someone functions in carrying out daily living activities, including social interactions. The scale ranges from 0 to 100. A lower GAF score indicates that someone is more impaired.

Establishing the right to disability compensation related to veteran’s PTSD from military service can be a complicated process. However, the attorneys at
Stansberry Kinsley are experienced at helping Veterans establish their veteran’s PTSD claims at every step in the filing and appeals process.

If you think you may be eligible for disability benefits on the basis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or other service-related disabilities, contact Stansberry Kinsley today. We offer a free consultation, and we take no attorney fees unless we win benefits for you.

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