While it is reasonable to believe that many disabled veterans are injured due to combat, the fact of the matter is that, even during wartime, combat injuries represent only a fraction of the potential dangers that military personnel may face. Even veterans who never see a day of combat may nevertheless find themselves severely harmed due to their experiences in the military, even if it is not immediately clear how. Here are just some of the more common ways that veterans may become disabled due to their military service:
- Exposure to intense noise or light
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- Military professionals are often exposed to incredibly loud noises and bright lights as a result of their service: gunfire, artillery, rockets, jet engines, and other similar stimuli can all be overwhelming. Even with appropriate protective gear, it is easy for veterans to suffer permanent damage to their eyes or ears as a result of these intense sounds and lights. For example, tinnitus remains the single most common disability claim by veterans resulting from their military service.
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- Training accidents
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- Ideally, it should be safe for military personnel to participate in training exercises without fear they will be seriously injured. However, there is always the risk of an accident during training, which can lead to potentially disabling injuries. This risk becomes much greater when training with large vehicles or dangerous equipment, such as tanks, planes, or explosives.
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- Overexertion
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- Veterans are often pushed hard during their service, physically and mentally, and while many hold this up as a badge of honor, it takes its toll on veterans. This leads many to suffer from issues like muscle tears, broken bones, or other issues that can have lingering effects on their health. Depending on where they are stationed during their military service, they may also be at risk of problems like heat stroke or frostbite, especially if they lack adequate environmental protection.
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- Toxic exposure
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- An issue of growing concern for many veterans has been the issue of toxic exposure, particularly that which is related to “burn pits” that were used to dispose of waste on military bases. Notably, these effects rarely impact veterans right away, but instead have resulted in a higher likelihood of developing cancer and other diseases later in life. This risk from military service only became clear in recent years, after scientific studies proved the dangers of these burn pits.
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- Physical or sexual assault
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- Unfortunately, military personnel do not only need to worry about being attacked by enemy combatants during their service. A shocking number of veterans have lingering physical and psychological disabilities related to a physical or sexual assault they experienced, usually on base and often inflicted by a fellow servicemember. These veterans not only need to contend with the physical injuries from these assaults, but also issues like PTSD or depression, which may follow a veteran for years afterwards.
The attorneys of Sullivan & Kehoe place a special focus on assisting disabled veterans. Our veterans’ disability lawyers are still available for remote consultation on your legal issues. Call our office at (800) 395-7830 to schedule a consultation in our New York City, Garden City, Kings Park, Riverhead, or White Plains office, or visit our contact page.
