Tucson, AZ: One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor, Tucson, AZ, 85701 I am a Veteran of United States Air Force and was awarded my first 30% in 1996 and have been fighting for my rating for 26 years I came to Perkins and Studdard in 2019 while my mom was in a terrible incident and was given to much anesthesia and through GODS Grace she was spared her life, She is disabled since 2018 and I have been struggling with my life and issues and yet I didnt call the law firm every 10 minutes or call being rude anytime, I mentioned this as I got to know Jessica more than just a phone call and Mr Studdard was always available when not working on other cases or in court, They always called back and Never had to do a call back, My Review is Simple in Life there peaks and valleys and it doesnt stop because you have issues, Perkins & Studdard took my case in 2019 in 2021 I received my 100% from VA, I Was Never Rude, I was Never Promised Success, I Was Never Lied too and I was Always Treated with Respect, Friendliness, and Kindness the Real Stuff not a (Money Thing) If You want a firm that Cares about the Client and will work on your case even through a pandemic, Will not lie, will not promise anything will communicate your case and will Give you their Best ALWAYS THIS IS THE Best Law Firm for VETS HANDS DOWN Perkins and Studdard THERE IS NO OTHER 100% we had 5 calls Total Case Thats Taking Care Of Business. If you are interested in avoiding unnecessary delay in your claim and want to do everything you can to maximize your chances of success, it is probably a good idea for you to consult with an accredited veterans disability attorney. However, the VA. No current medical diagnosis (within the last 12 months), or improper diagnosis, #3. I have sleep apnea diagnosed by the VA sleep study. So, if you developed sleep apnea while in service and still carry that diagnosis, you should be granted service connection. I told you at the beginning I wantto change your thinking. * SeveralDesert Storm, OIF, and OEF Clients have hadTraumatic Brain Injuries whichinterfere with how their Nervous System works, and as a result, have a different kind of Sleep Apnea (oversimplified, where the brains signals to breathe dont make it through to the lungs). Scenario 2: The Veteran has a current diagnosis of sleep apnea. Proving Service-Connection for Sleep Apnea - VA Claims Insider NOW ITS YOUR TURN. Thanks for your concern and the blog. San Jose, CA: 2880 Zanker Road, Ste. For example, if a veteran has service connection for diabetes caused by agent orange and it is a well known fact that diabetes can cause sleep apnea, then you should be able to add it to the claim. Strategic Veteran would like to help you sort out what you may be able to claim and the best way to go about it. Most people with CFS seem to have an impaired immune system which is thought to possibly be the cause of having CFS. Heres what I mean in BVA decision after BVA decision, I saw examples ofVeterans that take a look at the VA Ratings Tables, see that they can get a 50%VArating for sleep apnea with CPAP. In our experience, most VA disability claims are won or lost based on medical evidence. Lets begin today's post with the Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): It is HARD to get service connected for Sleep Apnea secondary to Depression. This may be even easier for you now because of a new VA new rule as of August 2, 2021. Learn what youve been missingso you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation you deserve! %PDF-1.4 % Seattle, WA: 506 2nd Ave,Suite 1400,Seattle, WA 98104. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Along with a direct Nexus, it is also possible to win a sleep apnea claim by claiming it as a secondary condition. If that is similar to your situation, how do you show that link (nexus) between what was going on with you during service and the actual diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea you now have? Give us a call at 800-477-9027 to see if we can help you. 3 Steps to Veteran Disability Benefits for Sleep Apnea, 6 Tips for Your C&P Exam for Sleep Apnea Secondary to PTSD, 3 Ways to Get a VA Rating for Insomnia (The Insiders Guide). entitlement to service connection for nerve damage to the bilateral lower extremities, to include as due to Gulf War illness, and, if so, whether the claim should be granted. These temporary breathing disruptions or lapses can occur from dozens to hundreds of times per night. Jason is a excellent lawyer and if I ever need another one I would only go to Perkins,Because I believe they would be able to help me in any situation I am in need of.. They were at all times attentive and on top of my case. Its one thing to give you the ingredients for a chocolate cake. Your first step is to be absolutely sure about what type of apnea you have. New Rule allows Presumptive Service Connection for Veterans particulate matter (burn pit) claims. Sometimes claims are appealed and remanded several times, which can cause a claim to drag on for years. Your airway narrows and closes, leading to pauses in the breathing cycle. How is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed? When filing a VA disability Claim for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome there are specific things the VA has to see before service connection can be considered and disability compensation granted. If youve filed your VA disability claim and have been denied or have received a low ratingor youre unsure how to get startedreach out to us! A/8un$zjHNSPU%=8HF Z*v@l(?6Nx/ The question raised in this case is whether this "intermediate step" is limited to . Thats what Sleep Apnea does while you are sleeping, you stop breathing. Simple tasks that we take for granted every day may cause great exhaustion for those with CFS. <>/Parent 3 0 R/Type/Page/Contents 8 0 R/Tabs/S/Resources<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/Font<>>>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Rotate 0>> However, there are more causes of Cardiomegaly than sleep apnea, so you will want a doctors medical opinoino as to whether your Cardiomegaly is related to a chronic sleep breathing disorder, or has some other origin. Common signs of sleep apnea include: Loud and frequent snoring Silent pauses in breathing Choking or gasping Daytime sleepiness Insomnia Unproductive sleep Morning headaches Required fields are marked *. This is in order to be officially diagnosed. * A 5-Star medical opinion, resting on 5-Star Lay and Medical Evidence, that demonstrates HOW your Sleep Apnea is related to military service. Just had C& P exam for sleep apnea. This disorder can also lead to more complications like depression, social isolation, lifestyle restrictions, and an increase in absences from work/school. 2 0 obj When seeking service connection, veterans will generally need to submit the following to VA: A current diagnosis of a condition; An in-service event, illness, or injury; and, 2020 Strategic Veteran All Rights Reserved. I read his information, submitted medical documents, receiveda Letter of Nexus or comments from a VA contractor doctor. The same can be said about service-connected mental health conditions. Sleep apnea can be your link or nexus for filing claims for: Sleep apnea is a high-value claim in the VA world of ratings. We are sorry that this post was not as useful for you! Learn more about us, Veterans Disability Claim No blog, and no eBook can substitute for legal advice from an accredited VA attorney. I talked to several doctors and sleep experts. Can I Get a VA Rating for Sleep Apnea Secondary to Depression? Keep up the great work, and remember, the only way to lose is to give up! . By showing that the sleep apnea was proximately caused or proximately aggravated by another service-connected disability you have a better chance of building your claim. Deland, FL: 1607 South State Road 15A Suite 12 Deland, FL 32720, Satellite Offices Long term chronic sleep apnea can cuse the heart to work harder, thus causing it to enlarge. This illness can be hard to diagnose due to its seemingly unrelated symptoms, but do not let that discourage you. Even as Veterans Claims for Sleep Apnea soar, it is clear that theVA DOES NOT understand the full scope of how sleep apnea occurs, medically or factually. Have sleep apnea, AO esposed, 65 in VN; being treated for mild PTSD for one & 1/2yrs. .{}p/=jyWG0j#kdLl%*~ P5O1A S-<9o2xmBV1 G(7H^1rnWI\8@I8w Your email address will not be published. If there is a way for us to improve our claims to get more granted for Vets with "GWI", rest assured, you will find it on the Veterans Law Blog. The VA uses two options for rating most sleep apnea claims. You only need to establish that your sleep apnea is at least as likely as not: A nexus letter is an evidence-based document prepared by a medical professional that helps to establish a connection between the veterans current disability and either military service (for direct service connection) or another rated disability (for secondary service connection). While we still have our home base in Florida, My next stop is going to be BVA, hopefully I dont have to go there without taking another bite at the DRO processes. Once diagnosed the more difficult step is required, which is proving the service-connection for sleep apnea. If youre experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, and suspect your sleep apnea arose from your time on active duty (or was or aggravated by a currently service-connected disability), you should consider seeking a diagnosis and pursuing compensation for this disability. After that knee replacement, he could no longer lift weights;thesudden weight gain the resulted caused his obstructive sleep apnea. This opens doors for many veterans who were unable to service-connect these respiratory conditions previously. * Can Agent Orange cause Sleep Apnea? Ill also show you: * The problem with your particular type of Sleep Apnea from the VAs perspective, * The Key Question to be resolved in EACH scenario, * Solutions to the Most Common Errors in Sleep Apnea claims. I can teach you how to do that. One step at a time, one claim at a time, one veteran at a time.we vets are winning!! endobj Winning a VA Sleep Apnea is much harder. * WHERE to get the Lay Evidence that will give REAL POWER to your Sleep Apnea Claim. To find the definitive guide for service-connection for sleep apnea, check it out here. We would be happy to talk to you. Top 5 Reasons for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Claim Denials - VA Claims Insider % Hear from fellow Veterans just like you, with many of our Veteran Success Managers having gone through our programs. Thousands of other Veterans in our Community are here for you. Dear Veteran, Heres the brutal truth about VA disability claims: According to our data, 8/10 (80%) of veterans reading this message right now are underrated by the VA. Both sinusitis and rhinitis are linked to sleep apnea. You're not alone. I do not response to Individual claim and legal questions, although I do catalog them for post / video ideas. When I turned my case over to Jason things turned around, QUICK. In fact, winning your VA sleep apnea claim can feel like you just led your team to victory in the World Cup. * What if it wasnt diagnosed until years after service can I service connect it then? If you want to learn how to implement these strategies to get the VA benefits you deserve, click here to speak with a VA claim expert for free. However, this has been thoroughly disproven. Symptoms of CFS include thinking and memory issues, orthostatic intolerance such as dizziness, weakness, fainting when upright, and much more. The blockage is believed to occur when the muscles in the back of the throat become overly relaxed. There are 3 things that the human body cannot live or function without: Blood/Oxygen, Food/Water and Sleep. The Veteran was granted entitlement to service connection for major depressive disorder in a May 2016 rating decision. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. For doing an awesome job. (In one study, 69.2% of veterans were assessed as being at high risk for OSA.). I have sleep apnea and emphysema. Required fields are marked *. Many conditions that are service related can cause obesity, like diabetes (and diabetes medications), depression, and injuries that result in lack of mobility. The independent opinion of a private medical professional can also influence the C&P examiners medical opinion, as well as the VA rating officials final disability decision. Please call for an appointment before visiting: Mail Processing Center: P.O. Instead, the leading cause of sleep apnea is weight gain. Translation: 3 out of every 4 of youwill see your sleep apnea claims and appeals deniedunless you learn how to prove your Sleep Apnea Claim the right way. Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from theUnited States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO and he holds an MBA from Oklahoma State Universitys Spears School of Business, Stillwater, OK, where he was a National Honor Scholar (Top 1% of Graduate School class). 4 Lessons You Need to Learn to Service Connect Sleep Apnea. Everyone I came in contact with there was very nice. We share our top tips and a step-by-step guide to a successful claim for obstructive sleep apnea! We offer free resources and expertise to empower all Veterans.