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Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange

By Douglas I. Friedman of Friedman Law Firm, P.C.

Friday, May 22, 2015

If you were exposed to Agent Orange during your time in the service, you may be wondering about your eligibility for VA disability benefits. The process of filing and being awarded for disability benefits is a long one that may take years of correspondence with the VA. For the many veterans that were exposed to Agent Orange during their service time, the VA has simplified this process with a presumptive policy that is specified in the Agent Orange Act of 1991.

Veterans that served in Vietnam ashore or on a ship on inland waterways between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. Veterans that served in or near the Korean demilitarized zone between April 1, 1968 and August 31, 1971 also fall into the presumptive category. These veterans do not have to prove their exposure.

The VA also presumes that certain diseases such as Lymphoma, Parkinson’s Disease, Prostate Cancer, B-cell Leukemia, Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Respiratory Cancers are caused from exposure to Agent Orange. If you believe you have a disease caused by Agent Orange exposure, but it is not on the VA’s list of presumptive diseases, you may still be able to receive compensation. You have to show evidence of your disability, exposure to Agent Orange, and medical evidence that they are linked.

If you have any questions about receiving benefits for a service connected disability, including Agent Orange exposure, call our office today to speak with someone that can help you begin the process of getting you the benefits that you deserve.

Visit http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/shiplist/list.asp to see if the ship you served on is on the VA’s list for presumptive exposure.

Visit http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/conditions/index.asp for a full list of diseases that the VA presumes resulted from Agent Orange.

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