Some veterans suffer injuries or develop medical conditions due to their military service, which subsequently causes another condition or aggravates an old injury or health condition. These “secondary” service-connected conditions can affect veterans’ VA disability benefits, including entitling them to combined disability ratings that can increase their monthly benefits checks. When you have a medical condition caused or aggravated by a service-connected health condition or disability, understanding your rights under the VA disability benefits system can ensure that you receive the financial support you deserve.
Understanding Secondary Service-Connected Conditions
When a veteran has a disabling medical condition caused by injuries or toxic exposure that occurred during their military service, that condition constitutes a “primary” service-connected condition. However, a primary condition can later cause or aggravate other medical conditions, which constitute “secondary” service-connected conditions. Common examples of secondary conditions include:
- Depression resulting from chronic pain caused by a severe combat injury
- Arthritis caused by modified body movement necessitated by a prosthesis for an amputated limb
- Heart disease resulting from service-connected diabetes
The VA recognizes primary and secondary service-connected conditions equally, provided that a veteran can establish a medical link between a primary and secondary condition.
Proving a Secondary Condition
A veteran can secure VA disability benefits for a secondary condition if they meet three key elements:
- An existing primary service-connected condition (i.e., a condition caused by injuries or exposure during military service)
- A formal diagnosis of a secondary condition
- A medical nexus between the primary and secondary conditions
In most cases, veterans must present nexus letters from treating healthcare providers or medical experts to opine to a reasonable degree of medical certainty how a veteran’s primary condition caused or aggravated their secondary condition. Although the VA’s duty to assist requires it to work with a veteran to obtain medical records, the veteran retains the burden of proving the existence of a secondary condition and its connection to a primary service-connected condition.
How Secondary Conditions Affect Disability Ratings
When a veteran has a secondary condition, they become eligible to receive a combined disability rating. The VA uses a chart to combine two disability ratings. For example, suppose a veteran has a primary condition with a 50 percent disability rating and a secondary condition with a 30 percent disability rating. In that case, the VA assigns a combined disability rating of 65, which gets rounded up to 70. Thus, a secondary condition can increase a veteran’s final disability rating and thereby their monthly benefits, or make the veteran eligible for other programs that can increase their disability benefits, such as Total Disability based on Individual Unemployment.
Common Challenges in Filing Secondary Conditions and How to Overcome Them
Some of the challenges that veterans face when pursuing VA disability benefits for secondary conditions include proving a medical nexus between primary and secondary conditions, having sufficient evidence to establish a formal diagnosis of a secondary condition, and establishing the correct disability rating for a secondary condition. When challenges lead to the denial of a secondary condition claim or a lower disability rating than expected, veterans can appeal the VA’s initial decision on a secondary condition claim through the administrative appeals process, which includes higher-level review, supplemental claim, and review by the Board of Veterans Appeals.
Contact a VA Disability Lawyer Today
When a condition or disability you developed due to your military services causes another medical condition or aggravates a pre-existing condition, you may have a claim to VA disability benefits for that secondary condition. Contact Veteran’s Legal Center today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a VA disability benefits attorney to learn more about how secondary service-connected medical conditions can affect your monthly benefit rates.