The VA denied more than 75% of disability claims related to burn pit exposure from 2007-2019, according to Burn Pits 360, an organization that advocates for toxic-exposed veterans.
The PACT Act opens the door for millions more veterans to receive VA disability benefits and health care.
List of burn pit presumtive conditions:
[ Ссылка ]
How the PACT Act benefits toxic exposed veterans:
[ Ссылка ]
What Are Burn Pits?
As their name implies, burn pits are areas of open ground that the U.S. military would use to dispose of on-site waste while downrange. Some were the size of football fields while others covered many acres of open land.
As these materials burned, they released toxins that affected service personnel in various ways. As it can take a while for these reactions to appear, veterans might not realize that they are suffering from long-term health consequences of exposure to burn pits.
The VA first began recognizing presumptive conditions for burn pit exposure in late 2021 when it announced asthma, rhinitis, and sinusitis would be service connected for veterans who were diagnosed with these conditions within 10 years of separation from active service. It added the following list of rare respiratory cancers in early 2022.
The PACT Act expanded the number of presumptive conditions associated with burn pit exposure.
List of cancers presumed to be caused by burn pits:
Head cancer of any type
Neck cancer of any type
Respiratory cancer of any type
Gastrointestinal cancer of any type
Reproductive cancer of any type
Lymphoma cancer of any type
Lymphatic cancer of any type
Kidney cancer
Brain cancer
Glioblastoma
Melanoma
Pancreatic cancer
List of other conditions presumed to be caused by burn pits:
Chronic bronchitis
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis
Emphysema
Granulomatous disease
Interstitial lung disease
Pleuritis
Pulmonary fibrosis
Sarcoidosis
Chronic sinusitis
Chronic rhinitis
The presumption of exposure to burn pits has also been expanded to veterans who served in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Yemen after Sept. 19, 2001, or in Somalia after Aug. 2, 1990. Those locations will now be on the list, along with veterans who served in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Syria, and Uzbekistan after Sept. 2001, and those who served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations after Aug. 2, 1990.
If you are unable to work due to your service-connected disabilities, you may qualify for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU). Contact us to see if you are eligible. Give us a call and receive a free legal consultation.
We have helped thousands of veterans all over the United States and we only charge a fee if we win your case.
Request a free legal consultation online:
[ Ссылка ]
Contact us today!
Woods and Woods, LLC
The Veteran’s Firm
[ Ссылка ]
812-426-7201
Call Woods and Woods for a free consultation.
