Abraham Lincoln, in his second inaugural address, said that our nation will always endeavor to “care for him who shall have borne the battle.” Ever since, Americans have sought to ensure that veterans injured in combat are properly cared for upon return to civilian life. This article describes one way that contemporary lawyers can help and are helping to make Lincoln’s pledge a reality.
Countless veterans who served in Afghanistan or Iraq have developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from their exposure to life-threatening violence in the combat zone. For many of these veterans, their PTSD is evaluated as severe enough to require honorable discharge from service. When a veteran is discharged from service due to PTSD, by regulation (38 C.F.R. § 4.129), the veteran is entitled to an initial disability compensation rating of 50 percent.
