In some ways, applying for veterans’ disability benefits is easy. You download the form from the Veterans Administration website and you fill it out. But, truth is, applying for benefits is NOT as simple as that and a good VA disability attorney can help significantly. Here are the top reasons why you need a skilled […]
Proving Disability For A Rare Medical Condition Like Cervical Dystonia
Cervical dystonia — also called spasmodic torticollis — is a rare medical condition where the neck muscles contract involuntarily, causing the head to twist or turn to one side, or to uncontrollably tilt forward or backward. The condition is quite painful. Since the muscle contractions are involuntary, the condition is embarrassing and socially awkward. In […]
New Orleans VA Disability Benefits: Pain Alone Can Be A “Disability”
A recent case from the Federal Circuit on VA disability benefits has held that pain alone can be the basis for a veteran’s disability rating nullifying a long-standing Veterans’ Appeal Court precedent. See Saunders v. Wilkie, Case No. 2017-1466 (US Fed. Cir. April 3, 2018) (“Saunders”). Prior to Saunders,the VA and the Veterans’ Court of Appeal […]
New Orleans VA Disability Benefits: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Postconcussive Syndrome
Traumatic brain injuries (“TBI”) are among the most common for veterans. Statistics show that 19 percent of veterans may have TBI and that over 260,000 veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with TBI. Some TBI’s are easy to diagnose, such as being shot in the head; however, TBI is on a […]
Can My New Orleans SSDI Benefits Be Terminated? What is a Continuing Disability Review?
If you are a New Orleans or Louisiana citizen currently receiving Social Security disability benefits, you should be aware that your disability benefits do not automatically continue forever. There are certain events that will trigger a loss of SSDI benefits (such as being incarcerated). In addition, the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) conducts reviews of every […]
Can I Receive SSDI and Disability Benefits from a Private Insurance Company?
If you watch television, you have probably seen the advertisements involving the duck that quacks for an insurance company that provides disability insurance. That has been a very effective advertising campaign as many people and companies have signed up for the insurance. Sometimes, we here at Ascend Disability Lawyers, LLC receive questions regarding whether a […]
Can I Get SSDI Benefits for Depression in New Orleans?
Have you been diagnosed with clinical depression? If so, you might be eligible for Social Security Disability Benefits (“SSDI”). Many people are hesitant to admit that they are unable to work — or are limited in their ability to work — because of an emotional or mental condition. But such conditions are common. About one […]
SSDI Benefits for Millennials and Workers in the “Gig” Economy
One of the more common myths about Social Security Disability Insurance (“SSDI”) is that benefits are related to the type of work you do. That is not the case. So, yes, millennials and other workers in the so-called “gig” economy — such as Uber, Lyft — can apply for — and obtain — SSDI benefits […]
New Orleans Veterans: Can I Reopen My VA Disability Claim?
Many New Orleans veterans mistakenly believe that if the VA denies their claim for disability they are prevented from ever filing again. However, denied claims can be reopened at any time. Indeed, reopening a claim can be an alternative to appealing a denial. You will need a Louisiana attorney experienced with VA disability claims to […]
New Orleans VA Disability: Military Sexual Trauma
Military Sexual Trauma (“MST”) is a physical and mental condition that results from sexual assault or repeated sexual harassment that occurred while a veteran was serving in the military. As the VA explains here in this MST Factsheet from March 2016, veterans are not eligible for benefits for the sexual assault or harassment, but, depending […]
