Disability ratings are assigned to veterans of the armed forces based on their seriousness of the condition they are suffering with that came as a direct result of performing active duty. With the disability rating, the level of compensation awarded is determined and is paid out on a monthly basis. The rating is also used to see if you are also eligible for any kind of other veteran benefits.
For those veterans that have numerous disability ratings, they can be used to work out what your consolidated VA disability rating is. This process involves much more than simply adding up all of your individual ratings together. For this reason, your consolidated rating may be different to the sum of each and every individual rating.
Assigning VA Disability Ratings
A disability rating is assigned based upon the seriousness of your disability / disabilities and is expressed as a percentage score. This score is representative of the level at which your disability / disabilities impact upon your health overall and your ability to function.
Your disability rating is then used for the purpose of determining the compensation rate, so that the amount of money that you will receive each month can be calculated. Your disability rating is also used to work out if you are eligible for any other sort of benefits, such as VA health care.
Disability ratings are based on information obtained from various sources, such as certain federal agencies; evidence given by yourself, such as results of medical tests and doctor reports; and the results from a VA examination (this is not required by everyone).
For those veterans who have more than one disability, a method known as ‘whole person theory’ is used in order to work out your consolidated disability rating. This is done to ensure that the total of your disability rating does not equal more than 100 percent – no one can be more than 100 percent able bodied.
Determining VA Disability Ratings
If it is the case that you have a number of disability ratings then a consolidated disability rating needs to be calculated. Doing this involves much more than simply adding all these up together. For this reason it is likely to be different to what it would be if they were combined.
There are actually a number of complex steps that are involved in the process of calculating what your consolidated rating is. This includes using a series of rating tables that have already been pre determined and are in categories based on the percentage of disability that you suffer from. When coming to a final score, the value is actually rounded to the nearest 10 percent (1 – 4 down, 5 – 9 up).
When you are given your disability rating and you feel that it does not correctly represent the full extent of your disability / disabilities then you may want to hire PTSD Lawyers in Lincoln, NE, such as Berry Law Veterans Law Attorney: Lincoln, who can help you get the right amount of compensation that you deserve.