Martin, Jones, & Piemonte - Attorneys at Law

  Are you a veteran who is suffering from an inner ear disorder or have a diagnosis of Meniere’s disease related to your time in service?     Meniere’s disease is a chronic inner ear disability that may result in hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo.     It can occur in one or both ears.      While the exact cause of Meniere’s disease in not known, common causes may include viral infection, improper fluid drainage in the ear, abnormal immune response or a genetic predisposition.   In order to be successful in a VA claim for direct service connection for Meniere’s Disease, a veteran must satisfy the following elements: (1)    A current diagnosed disability that the veteran is currently seeking treatment. (2)    An in-service injury, illness or event that may have caused the disability; and  (3)    A medical nexus statement that links the in-service injury, illness, or event. Typically, nexus statements are medical opinions, such as an audiology report, that links the Meniere’s disease to

Many people who apply for disability benefits aren’t aware that there are multiple types of Social Security disability benefits that individuals can apply for. The two most common types of benefits are Supplemental Security Income, commonly called SSI, and Social Security Disability  In surance which is often referred to as disability or SSDI.  SSI is a needs-based program, which any  disabled person  can apply for regardless of their work history. SSDI requires enough quarters of coverage to qualify for benefits and requires applicants to apply for benefits within five years of the date when they last stopped working full time. This date is referred to as the Date Last Insured, or DLI.  Many applicants are unaware of this limitation and do not realize that they are not eligible for SSDI benefits if a medical condition becomes disabling after the DLI, or if they become disabled because of an existing condition that worsens after the DLI. This is one of the most important reasons to con