Following a judge’s order in a lawsuit initially filed by seven veterans suffering from PTSD, the military has agreed to review the benefits extended to combat vets who are dealing with the disorder. The lawsuit suggested that the seven vets were denied benefits over a six-year period, which ended in late 2008, by the military because they had been diagnosed with PTSD.
Now almost 5,000 letters are being sent to veterans to notify them of an “opt-in” period [now until July 24th] during which they can file suit against the military, much like the seven veterans who originally filed. Attorneys for the seven vets believe that “millions of dollars” could be paid to vets following a review of benefits.
If the review determines that the military did in fact illegally deny veterans their benefits following a discharge and diagnosis of PTSD, veterans could end up receiving hundreds more in monthly benefits.
Former Army Sgt. Juan Perez of Michigan said that the new developments related to the lawsuit were a “relief.” Perez served two tours in Iraq, temporarily leaving behind his wife and five children. He now suffers from migraines, nightmares, PTSD, and an eye injury stemming from a combat-sustained head injury. He takes medication to stabilize his moods.
Perez has been forced to file bankruptcy after he and his wife lost their jobs since leaving the military.
“I’m glad that they are finally reevaluating the soldiers…and doing the right thing,” Perez told the Washington Post.
Former Marine Corporal Tyler Einarson, who is just 28 years old, was one of the seven veterans who filed the original lawsuit. He was shot twice while in Afghanistan back in 2005 and also suffers from PTSD. He believes that a reevaluation of benefits could make a “significant” financial improvement for many veterans like him.
PTSD, or post traumatic stress disorder, develops in combat veterans who have suffered particularly disturbing situations during their time in the military. Symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks, nightmares, mood swings, detachment, hypervigilance, and difficulty sleeping. PTSD may be successfully treated using one of many healing resources for veterans, including equine therapy and complementary therapies such as yoga.
In terms of the lawsuit filed, the military has taken issue with the “disability rating” assigned to each of the seven veterans who filed suit. Each was assigned a value of less than ten percent, and according to the military, an individual who suffers from PTSD and is discharged must receive a rating of fifty percent or more. Since October of 2008, veterans who are discharged with PTSD have received the appropriate rating, according to a spokesperson for the National Veterans Legal Services Program.
This higher rating ensures that veterans receive their lifelong disability payments each month, as well as free health care for the vet and their spouse. Minor children of a veteran who receives an appropriate rating also receive health care benefits.
In addition to vets suffering from PTSD, veterans who developed PTSD as a result of a non-combat-related event, such as a rape, may also qualify for reimbursements following the review of the military’s previous benefit extensions.
In addition to developing PTSD, veterans may also face the risk of developing mesothelioma, a fatal cancer attributed to previous asbestos exposure. Military men and women serving or who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan may not have immediate worries, as mesothelioma has a latency period of as many as fifty years, so it is imperative that veterans monitor their respiratory health as they age.
