What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

After Combat Trauma, Get the Compensation You Deserve

You served your country and came home unable to leave the trauma behind.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) occurs when you continue to feel a “fight-or-flight” response long after you’re out of danger. It’s most common in veterans or current members of the armed forces who have gone through combat.

If you’re a veteran with PTSD, you deserve the compensation you need to get back to a normal life.

Attorney Dorollo Nixon at Lachman & Gorton Law Office can help you get the veterans’ disability benefits you deserve.

Contact Dorollo Nixon at Lachman & Gorton Now.

The VA Made it Easier to File for PTSD Benefits

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) passed regulations in 2010 making it easier for veterans to qualify for disability benefits.

The VA used to require you to document the traumatic event you experienced. Now you only need to show such an event was likely in the location and circumstances of your service.

Because you served in the military, the VA acknowledges you might have gone through traumatic events.

As a result, you have less of a burden to prove that a specific traumatic event happened.

Get guidance through the disability process. The Lachman & Gorton Law Office can provide an evaluation of your claim over the phone — and for free.

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How Do I File for VA Benefits for PTSD?

To apply for benefits, first you need a psychiatrist to diagnose you with PTSD.

    For a PTSD diagnosis, you must have the following symptoms for at least one month:

  • At least one re-experiencing symptom, such as flashbacks or bad dreams
  • At least one avoidance symptom, such as avoiding thoughts, feelings or places that remind you of the traumatic event
  • At least two arousal and reactivity symptoms, such as being tense, having difficulty sleeping or being easily startled
  • At least two cognition and mood symptoms, such as misplaced guilt or blame, negative thoughts or trouble remembering the event

Next, you must show the diagnosis was related to a traumatic event. The psychiatrist must confirm the event was severe enough to trigger PTSD.

Finally, the traumatic incident must be related to military or terrorist activity. You must show the event is likely to have happened during your military service.

Because you no longer have to prove a specific event occurred, the process should be quicker and easier than it used to be.

Call the Lachman & Gorton Law Office to file for your PTSD benefits today.

What Happens When the VA Approves My Disability Claim?

If your claim is approved, the VA will assign you a disability rating. Your rating is a percentage describing how limiting your PTSD is.

This number determines the amount of your monetary benefits.

For example, a 10% disability rating indicates your symptoms are relatively well controlled and mild or passing. Your benefits will correspond to a lower level of disability.

A 100% disability rating, on the other hand, indicates your PTSD is extremely debilitating. Your benefits would be higher to compensate for the impact of your PTSD.

If you’re a veteran with PTSD, call an attorney who can make the process of filing for disability benefits as easy as possible.

Contact Attorney Dorollo Nixon at Lachman & Gorton Today.


National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives
United States District Court of Northern and Western Districts
Broome County Bar Association