What is an Aggravated Service Connection?

Watch this video by dedicated Buffalo disability attorney Christopher Atkinson, Esq. as he explains an aggravated service connection.

An aggravated service-connected condition is when you enter into service and have an injury that happened prior to service. Let’s say you were 15 and you hurt your knee playing softball. It heals. And you enter into service.

You do your physical when you enter into service, and you’re cleared for active duty. Then in active duty, you re-injured that knee. If there was documentation that you had a knee problem prior to service, and then it’s aggravated because of your service, you can get that service connected. The key is that we’ve got to show what’s aggravated beyond its natural progression, and that’s where the VA will sometimes deny you. So we’ll work with you.

We’ll figure out how we can prove that the condition was made much worse by your service, worse than it would have been had you not served. That may be statements from you or buddy statements from people you know. Give us a call. We’ll walk you through the process. We’ll figure it out together.

At Hiller Comerford Injury & Disability Law, PLLC, our attorneys offer skilled guidance through the process of obtaining disability benefits for veterans. We have successfully helped thousands of clients receive VA disability benefits in a timely manner. Contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced VA Disability Attorney. 

What Qualifies as a Service-Connected Disability?

Watch this video by dedicated Buffalo disability attorney Christopher Atkinson, Esq. as he explains what qualifies as a service-connected disability.

A service-connected disability can really be anything. A man or a woman comes into service, and something happens, and they leave service differently. That could be a psychological issue. Maybe you develop depression or anxiety, or maybe something happens in service that’s very traumatic. Man or woman, you come into service one person, and you leave another.

That’s always where I start because a lot of times, you’re not encouraged to treat in service. So you’re going to be denied for a lack of treatment. We’re going to help you build your case. We’re going to figure out what evidence is needed for success. Give us a call. We can help you with any claim that you have.

At Hiller Comerford Injury & Disability Law, PLLC, our attorneys offer skilled guidance through the process of obtaining disability benefits for veterans. We have successfully helped thousands of clients receive VA disability benefits in a timely manner. For a free consultation with an experienced VA Disability Attorney, contact us today. 

What Is A Secondary Service Connection?

Watch this video by dedicated Buffalo disability attorney Christopher Atkinson, Esq., where he explains a secondary service connection.

A secondary service connection is when you have a service-connected condition. When something happens in service, they call that direct service connection. You enter service, and something happens. You leave service, you’ve got a chronic problem.

A secondary service connection is when that chronic problem from service causes other problems. So, for example, perhaps you hurt your knee in service. You’ve got a limp because of it. Because of that limp, it throws off the other knee, which might throw off the hips, perhaps the back goes bad. So all those things can be service connected if we can get a doctor to say it’s likely that the knee injury from service contributed to these other conditions.

Give us a call. We’ll walk you through the process. It can be a little intimidating when you try to put in a claim to the VA. We do it every day. A secondary service connection is certainly something that we always look for because it’s often missed by others.

At Hiller Comerford Injury & Disability Law, PLLC, our attorneys offer skilled guidance through the process of obtaining disability benefits for veterans. We have successfully helped thousands of clients receive VA disability benefits in a timely manner. Contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced Veteran Disability Lawyer.