Veterans Disability Lawyers Pittsburgh

Veterans across the United States have chosen us to help them obtain their VA disability benefits. The veterans we are helping have suffered from several types of war-time injuries. Some of the most common problems facing our vets that may qualify them for VA benefits include:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an emotional illness that that is classified as an anxiety disorder and usually develops as a result of a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe experience. PTSD sufferers re-experience the traumatic event or events in some way, tend to avoid places, people, or other things that remind them of the event (avoidance), and are exquisitely sensitive to normal life experiences (hyperarousal). Although this condition has likely existed since human beings have endured trauma, PTSD has only been recognized as a formal diagnosis since 1980. However, it was called by different names as early as the American Civil War, when combat veterans were referred to as suffering from “soldier’s heart.” In World War I, symptoms that were generally consistent with this syndrome were referred to as “combat fatigue.” Soldiers who developed such symptoms in World War II were said to be suffering from “gross stress reaction,” and many troops in Vietnam who had symptoms of what is now called PTSD were assessed as having “post-Vietnam syndrome.” PTSD has also been called “battle fatigue” and “shell shock.”

Radiation Poisoning

There are two basic types of radiation: ionizing and nonionizing.

  • Nonionizing radiation comes in the form of light, radio waves, microwaves and radar. This kind of radiation usually does not cause tissue damage.
  • Ionizing radiation is radiation that produces immediate chemical effects on human tissue . X-rays, gamma rays, and particle bombardment (neutron beam, electron beam, protons, mesons, and others) give off ionizing radiation. This type of radiation can be used for medical testing and treatment, industrial and manufacturing purposes, weapons and weapons development, and more.

Cognitive Disabilities

Defining cognitive disability is not easy, and definitions of cognitive disability are usually broad. Persons with cognitive disabilities may have difficulty with various types of mental tasks.
Intellectual disabilities, also known as developmental delay or mental retardation, are a group of disorders defined by diminished cognitive and adaptive development. Affecting more males than females, they are diagnosed in between one and three percent of the population.

Many cognitive disabilities have a base in physiological or biological processes within the individual, such as a genetic disorder or a traumatic brain injury. Other cognitive disabilities may be based in the chemistry or structure of the person’s brain. Persons with more profound cognitive disabilities often need assistance with aspects of daily living. Persons with minor learning disabilities might be able to function adequately despite their disability, maybe to the point where their disability is never diagnosed or noticed.

Physical Disabilities

Physical impairment refers to a broad range of disabilities which include orthopedic, neuromuscular, cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders. People with these disabilities often must rely upon assertive devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, canes, and artificial limbs to obtain mobility. The physical disability may either be congenital or a result of injury, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, amputation, heart disease, pulmonary disease or more. Some persons may have hidden (nonvisible) disabilities which include pulmonary disease, respiratory disorders, epilepsy and other limiting conditions.

Exposure to Agent Orange (Vietnam Veterans)

Agent Orange is a blend of herbicides the U.S. military sprayed from 1962 to 1971 during Operation Ranch Hand in the Vietnam War to remove trees and tropical foliage that provided enemy cover.

More than 19 million gallons of various “rainbow” herbicide combinations were sprayed, but Agent Orange was the combination the U.S. military used most often. The name “Agent Orange” came from the orange identifying stripe used on the 55-gallon drums in which it was stored.

Heavy sprayed areas included forests near the demarcation zone, forests at the junction of the borders of Cambodia, Laos, and South Vietnam, and mangroves on the southernmost peninsula of Vietnam and along shipping channels southeast of Saigon.

Former Prisoner of War

Former American Prisoners of War are eligible for special veterans benefits, including medical care in VA hospitals and disability compensation for injuries and diseases caused by internment. These benefits are in addition to regular veterans benefits and services to which they, as veterans, are entitled.

As a prisoner of war the starvation, exposure to the elements and other things encountered by the Prisoner of War have been proven to cause long term damage, of which you may not be aware, to vital organs. Now, many years later many common conditions that you may now have (like arthritis, heart disease, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, etc.) can be directly traced back to your incarceration as a prisoner of war and as such you are entitled to receive VA disability compensation for them.

Traumatic Head Injuries

Penetrating head injuries occur when an object literally penetrates the skull into the brain itself. This can occur as a result of the head and skull coming into contact with an object, or where an object comes into contact with the head and skull. Penetrating head injuries are associated with a high rate of epilepsy. Anoxic brain injury results from a deprivation of oxygen to the brain. Medical negligence is likewise a cause of brain injury – from the failure to diagnose or treat stroke to the failure to properly deliver a child. Sadly, brain injury can and does result from a wide array of events.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

Penetrating head injuries occur when an object literally penetrates the skull into the brain itself. This can occur as a result of the head and skull coming into contact with an object, or where an object comes into contact with the head and skull. Penetrating head injuries are associated with a high rate of epilepsy. Anoxic brain injury results from a deprivation of oxygen to the brain. Medical negligence is likewise a cause of brain injury – from the failure to diagnose or treat stroke to the failure to properly deliver a child. Sadly, brain injury can and does result from a wide array of events.

Sexual Trauma

If a Veteran chooses to seek health care from the VA, screening data is compiled which has shown approximately 1 in 5 women and 1 in 100 men seen at a VA facility responded “yes” from the Military Sexual Trauma screening. Multiple mental health problems have been shown to be associated with Military Sexual Trauma, including PTSD, anxiety disorders, depression, and substance abuse disorders. If you would like more information on Military Sexual Trauma and to see if you qualify for VA Disability compensation due to your symptoms associated with Military Sexual Trauma, please contact us at 412-271-6800

Can I be Compensated for Military Sexual Trauma?

The lingering symptoms associated with military sexual trauma include physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms. If you believe you are suffering from any or more of the symptoms associated with Military Sexual Trauma, contact us at 412-271-6800

Amputation of limb or other body part

If you served in America’s Armed Forces and were injured during a designated wartime period according the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), you are eligible to receive pension benefits that can help you and your dependent family members pay for your health care and other living expenses. Martin & Lerda provides the background and experience that clients in Pittsburgh and nearby areas count on for help with their elder law and veteran’s benefits needs.

Spinal Cord Injuries

The diagnosis of a spinal cord injury is devastating news for the patient and their family. The lawyers of Martin & Lerda are leaders in maximizing recoveries for people who have suffered catastrophic spinal cord injuries.
The focus of our practice is to help individuals and their families after devastating trauma has ruined their lives. Our goal is to make a substantial financial difference in their lives and to restore, to the full extent of the law, what has been taken from them.
If you or someone you know has suffered a spinal cord injury and are facing a lifetime disability, we are ready to help you obtain the fair and just compensation you deserve. Please contact us at 412-271-6800.

Cushings Syndrome

  1. Cushing’s syndrome is the result of too much of cortisol (a hormone) in the body, either due to the body producing excess amounts or from taking corticosteroid medications to control the symptoms of another condition.
  2. Cushing’s syndrome causes a fat buildup in the stomach and between the shoulders, an exaggerated round face shape, and stretch marks that look purple or pink.
  3. Cushing’s syndrome may cause emotional problems such as anxiety, depression and irritability, skin that breaks easily and heals slowly, loss of menstruation in women and erectile dysfunction in men, high blood pressure and sometimes diabetes.
  4. Cortisol’s purpose in the body is to regulate blood pressure and the cardiovascular system, as well as control stress response, and metabolize proteins, carbohydrates and fats into energy.
  5. The body may overproduce cortisol if there is a problem with the pituitary or adrenal glands, or if a tumor forms that produces the hormone.
  6. Taking a medication form of cortisol may be necessary to control symptoms related to inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, lupus and asthma. When an individual receives an organ from a donor, these medications are used to keep the body’s immune system from rejecting the donor organ. When this medication is taken over an extended period of time, cortisol can build up in the body and cause Cushing’s syndrome.
  7. The symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome can present themselves like other conditions, including polycystic ovary syndrome in women, major depression, an eating disorder or alcoholism. This sometimes makes the condition difficult to diagnose.
  8. Cushing’s syndrome can potentially cause death, but typically diagnosis and beginning treatment will prevent further problems. If medication is the cause, a doctor can help slowly reduce the amount of corticosteroids used. Surgery and radiation therapy are treatments of choice if a tumor is the cause. There are also prescription medications that limit production of cortisol.

Can you qualify for disability benefits with this condition?

Whether or not you qualify for disability and, as a result, are approved for disability benefits will depend entirely on the information obtained from your medical records. This includes whatever statements may have been obtained from your treating physician (a doctor who has a history of treating your condition and is, therefore, qualified to comment as to your condition and prognosis).