Chronic pain resulting from another injury or illness is an eligible condition for which veterans can submit VA chronic disability claims.
Though this has not always been the case, since the case of Saunders vs. Wilkie in 2018, the VA now considers chronic pain as a claimable service-connected disability when certain conditions are met.
VA chronic pain disability claims help professionals encourage all veterans experiencing chronic pain to file their claims, even if they have been declined prior to 2018, with the necessary evidence to receive a fair rating.
Chronic Pain and a Service-Connected Injury or Illness
To be eligible for VA disability pay for chronic pain, the veteran must have experienced a service-connected injury or illness to which the pain is attributed and the pain must be ongoing for more than 6 months for it to be considered chronic.
VA chronic pain disability claims showing that the pain a veteran is experiencing is affecting their quality of life and/or ability to work will be rated in the same way that all other service-connected injuries and illnesses are.
With that evidence-based rating, the veteran’s disability pay can be adjusted accordingly.
Difficulty of a Chronic Pain Claim
The challenge that many veterans face when attempting to claim their chronic pain is in proving the significance of that pain, how it is related to their service-connected disability, and how it is negatively affecting them.
There is no specific VA rating system that considers chronic pain alone, making gauging its effect difficult and subjective.
Still, as any veteran experiencing it knows, chronic pain can cause more than just discomfort; it can be downright debilitating, cause mental health issues like depression, and even contribute to additional health problems.
Seek Expert Help For Chronic Pain Claims
In the effort of presenting all of this as evidence to support a disability claim, veterans struggling with chronic pain should consider seeking VA chronic pain disability claims help from an experienced third party that understands the claims process.
The right VA chronic pain disability claims assistance can ensure that the right evidence supporting chronic pain conditions is submitted, increasing the chance that a fair rating will be assigned.
What Evidence Must Be Presented?
This evidence should include everything from military and VA medical records to private medical records, including doctor statements on how the pain is thought to be associated with the veteran’s service-connected disability.
It should also include evidence that shows how chronic pain is affecting the veteran’s employability and their overall enjoyment of life in general.
To effectively provide all of this critical information in the most considerable ways, veterans can seek VA chronic pain disability claims assistance from knowledgeable specialists who are experienced with the disability claims process.