Has the VA denied your claim or given you a disability rating that doesn’t reflect the reality of your struggles? Too many veterans are left without the support they need, especially when living with the invisible wounds of service. That’s where we come in.
A significant number of the veterans in Alabama suffer from traumatic brain injuries and other conditions leading to long-term physical and mental health challenges. These hardships can feel overwhelming, especially when the VA system fails to recognize the impact of veterans’ disabilities. Recent research has shown that Alabama veterans have higher rates of mental illness and substance abuse and a suicide rate of 35.4 per 100,000, exceeding both the national veteran average and the state’s general population rate.
At Hill & Ponton, we understand what’s at stake. For decades, our disability lawyers stood beside veterans across the country, guiding them through the VA appeals process with compassion and persistence. We are ready to do the same for you. You served with honor, and you shouldn’t have to fight this battle alone. Let us help you secure the benefits and peace of mind you’ve earned.
Our Legal Services for Alabama Veterans
- Disability Compensation: We work to ensure Alabama veterans receive the maximum compensation for medical conditions that began in (or were made worse by) their military service.
- Appeals: If your VA claim was denied or undervalued, we handle every step of the appeals process. From preparing the right paperwork to gathering new evidence, we fight to get your case heard fairly.
- Rating Increases: Has your condition worsened over time? If your current VA rating no longer reflects the reality of your disability, we can help you pursue a higher rating – and the additional monthly benefits that come with it!
- DIC and Survivor Benefits: We represent surviving spouses, children, and parents of Alabama service members who passed away in the line of duty or from service-connected conditions, helping families secure the survivor benefits they deserve after the veteran’s death.
- Special Monthly Compensation: SMC provides extra financial support for veterans with serious disabilities (such as loss of use of limbs or being housebound). If you’ve been denied SMC or awarded the wrong level, we’ll fight to correct it.
- Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU): If your service-connected disability prevents you from holding full-time employment, you may qualify for TDIU. This benefit pays the same as a 100% disability rating, even if your combined rating is lower. We help Alabama veterans prove eligibility and secure this critical support.
Disability Ratings and Compensation
Your VA disability rating is expressed as a percentage (from 10% to 100%) and reflects the severity of your service-connected condition. This percentage directly determines the amount of tax-free monthly compensation you’ll receive from the VA.
If you have more than one service-connected condition, the VA applies a formula (not simple addition) to calculate your combined disability rating. You can estimate both your rating and potential monthly compensation using the VA Disability Calculator.
Here’s what an unmarried Alabama veteran with no dependents currently receives each month based on their disability rating:
- 10%: $175.51
- 20%: $346.95
- 30%: $537.42
- 40%: $774.16
- 50%: $1,102.04
- 60%: $1,395.93
- 70%: $1,759.19
- 80%: $2,044.89
- 90%: $2,297.96
- 100%: $3,831.30
Alabama State Benefits
In addition to federal VA benefits, Alabama provides its own veteran benefits. Disabled veterans in the state may be eligible for property tax exemptions, education assistance for dependents, and other forms of state support. These programs are designed to ease the financial burden and honor the sacrifices of Alabama veterans and their families.
Work with us to get your benefits
When Should You Hire a VA Disability Lawyer?
Filing your first VA disability claim on your own is often a good place to start. But if the VA denies your claim or assigns you a rating that doesn’t reflect the true impact of your condition, that’s when having an experienced VA-accredited attorney can make all the difference.
The VA appeals process is complex, technical, and constantly changing. By working with a skilled disability lawyer, you give yourself a stronger chance of success.
At Hill & Ponton, we focus exclusively on VA disability cases. That means when you choose us, you’re not just hiring an attorney: you’re partnering with a team that knows the VA system inside and out. We build solid strategies, gather the strongest medical and service evidence, and present compelling arguments to help veterans win the benefits they deserve.
Your Appeal Options
- Supplemental Claim: If you have new and relevant evidence that wasn’t included in your original claim, this option gives the VA another chance to review your case with the added information.
- Higher-Level Review: If you believe the VA made a clear error in deciding your claim, a more senior reviewer can re-examine it. No new evidence is required, and this process is typically faster.
- Board of Veterans’ Appeals Review: The highest level of administrative appeal. You can request a direct review (no new evidence), submit new evidence for consideration, or have a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge to make your case in person.
We’re proud to stand beside veterans who have been denied or underrated, and we’ve built a track record of success – we win 96% of the cases we take on. If the VA hasn’t recognized the full extent of your service-connected condition, let us help you take the next step toward securing the benefits you’ve earned. You can hear from the veterans we’ve helped here.
Winning Your Appeal
Many VA disability claims are denied or underrated because essential pieces of evidence are missing, incomplete, or not clearly presented. To approve your claim, the VA requires three elements:
- Current Diagnosis: A documented medical condition from a qualified healthcare provider. This confirms that you are currently living with the disability.
- In-Service Event: Evidence of an injury, illness, or exposure that occurred during your military service. This could include service treatment records, deployment records, or even buddy statements.
- Nexus: A medical opinion that directly connects your current condition to your military service. Without a strong nexus, even a well-documented condition can be denied.
Even when veterans provide some of the required information, the VA often rejects or underrates claims due to:
- Lack of Service Connection: Not enough evidence showing that the condition is tied to military service.
- Weak Medical Evidence: Insufficient documentation of how severe the condition is, or how much it impacts your daily life and ability to work.
- Missed Deadlines: Submitting forms or evidence late can lead to automatic denials, regardless of the merits of your case.
- VA Errors: Mistakes in processing, misinterpretation of records, or overlooking key facts that should support your claim.
We understand how frustrating the VA process can be and are committed to helping veterans present the strongest case possible to win the benefits they deserve. Our lawyers will gather and submit medical records and expert medical opinions to establish or reinforce the nexus between your service and your disability, write compelling legal arguments and ensure that all filings meet strict VA deadlines to protect your rights.
Get a free case evaluation
VA Disability for Toxic Exposure
Many veterans develop serious health conditions due to toxic exposure during military service, often without knowing it at the time. Alabama is home to several military installations with confirmed or suspected contamination from hazardous substances such as PFAS, solvents, fuel leaks, heavy metals, and munitions waste. If you served at or near one of these locations and later developed a qualifying condition, you may be entitled to VA disability benefits:
- Anniston Army Depot (Anniston, AL): Superfund site with contamination from trichloroethylene (TCE), PCBs, heavy metals, unexploded ordnance, petroleum products, and chemical weapons residues.
- Fort McClellan (Anniston, AL): Site of chemical and biological weapons training, contaminated with dioxins, PCBs, radiation, and nerve agents. Thousands of Alabama veterans served here until its closure in 1999, especially those in the Army or Alabama National Guard, and may have been exposed.
- Redstone Arsenal (Huntsville, AL): Superfund site with TCE, PCE, benzene, explosives, PFAS, and heavy metals from weapons testing and chemical research, associated with cancers, endocrine disorders, and respiratory illness.
- Fort Novosel (formerly Fort Rucker, Dale County, AL): Suspected of PFAS, fuel spills, and solvents near hangars and maintenance areas, associated with respiratory issues and chronic illnesses.
- Maxwell Air Force Base and the Gunter Annex (Montgomery, AL): Investigated for PFAS, petroleum hydrocarbons, and solvents from firefighting foam use and aircraft maintenance, linked to immune dysfunction, cancer, and reproductive issues.
- Brookley Field (former Brookley AFB, Mobile, AL): Historical aircraft maintenance site with contamination from petroleum, solvents, and heavy metals.
- Craig Air Force Base (Selma, AL): Before its closure in 1977, service members may have been exposed to volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in the groundwater and soil contamination.
- Whiting Field Auxiliary Fields (southeast Alabama): Investigated for possible contamination from fuel, pesticides, and fire suppression chemicals.
Veterans with related medical conditions who served at these bases, or others throughout U.S.A., can and should seek care and compensation. If the VA lacks documentation of exposure or fails to recognize service-related health issues, contact us – our VA disability attorneys have decades of experience with toxic exposure claims and will only get paid after winning your case.
Legal Resources and Lawyers Near You
TUSKEGEE
Macon County Veterans Service Office – Central Alabama Health Care System, Building 2, Room 109, 2400 Hospital Road, Tuskegee, AL 36083 | Phone: 334‑727-0550
PHENIX CITY
Russell County Veterans Service Office: 1000 Broad Street, Phenix City, AL 36867 | Phone: 334‑298-7767
Alabama VA Facilities Providing Veteran Assistance
VA Service & Benefits Offices
- ADVA State Office – 100 North Union Street, Suite 850, Montgomery, AL 36104 | Phone: 334‑242‑5077
- Autauga County Veterans Service Office – 218 North Court Street, Prattville, AL 36067 | Phone: 334‑361‑3741
- Baldwin County Veterans Service Office – 22251 Palmer Street, Robertsdale, AL 36567 | Phone: 251‑937‑0218
- Calhoun County Veterans Service Office – 1702 Noble Street, Suite 104, Anniston, AL 36201 | Phone: 256‑240‑2811
- Dallas County Veterans Service Office – 102 Church Street, Selma, AL 36701 | Phone: 334‑874‑2515
- Elmore County Veterans Service Office – 100 East Commerce Street, Room 206, Wetumpka, AL 36092 | Phone: 334‑514‑5841
- Etowah County Veterans Service Office – 801 Forrest Avenue, Gadsden, AL 35901 | Phone: 256‑546‑2886
- Houston County Veterans Service Office – 462 North Oates Street, Dothan, AL 36303 | Phone: 334‑677‑4749
- Jefferson County Veterans Service Office – 1315 7th Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203 | Phone: 205‑458‑1273
- Lauderdale County Veterans Service Office – 102 South Court Street, Florence, AL 35630 | Phone: 256‑764‑1813
- Limestone County Veterans Service Office – 100 South Clinton Street, Athens, AL 35611 | Phone: 256‑233‑6411
- Madison County Veterans Service Office – 819 Cook Avenue, Huntsville, AL 35801 | Phone: 256‑427‑5070
- Mobile County Veterans Service Office – 1150 Government Street, Suite 107, Mobile, AL 36604 | Phone: 251‑574‑8578
- Montgomery County Veterans Service Office – 100 South Lawrence Street, Montgomery, AL 36104 | Phone: 334‑832‑1246
- Shelby County Veterans Service Office – 200 West College Street, Columbiana, AL 35051 | Phone: 205‑669‑3835
- Tuscaloosa County Veterans Service Office – 714 Greensboro Avenue, Room B-06, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 | Phone: 205‑349‑3870
Alabama Vet Centers
- Birmingham Vet Center – 400 Emery Drive, Suite 200, Hoover, AL 35244 | Phone: 205‑212‑3122
- Huntsville Vet Center – 415 Church Street NW, Building H, Suite 101, Huntsville, AL 35801 | Phone: 256‑539‑5775
- Mobile Vet Center – 2577 Government Blvd, Mobile, AL 36606 | Phone: 251‑478‑5906
- Montgomery Vet Center – 2100 Eastern Blvd, Suite 225, Montgomery, AL 36117 | Phone: 334‑395‑9118
VA Medical centers and Clinics
- Central Alabama VA Medical Center – Montgomery (West Campus) – 215 Perry Hill Road, Montgomery, AL 36109 | Phone: 334‑272‑4670
- Central Alabama VA Medical Center – Tuskegee (East Campus) – 2400 Hospital Road, Tuskegee, AL 36083 | Phone: 334‑727‑0550
- Birmingham VA Medical Center – 700 South 19th Street, Birmingham, AL 35233 | Phone: 205‑933‑8101
Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs)
- Anniston VA Clinic – 1702 Noble Street, Suite 103, Anniston, AL 36201 | Phone: 256‑241‑5331
- Dothan VA Clinic – 2020 Alexander Drive, Dothan, AL 36301 | Phone: 334‑678‑1933
- Fort Rucker (Wiregrass) VA Clinic – 301 Andrews Avenue, Enterprise, AL 36330 | Phone: 334‑503‑7800
- Guntersville VA Clinic – 5200 US Hwy 431, Albertville, AL 35950 | Phone: 256‑894‑6638
- Huntsville VA Clinic – 500 Markaview Road NW, Huntsville, AL 35805 | Phone: 256‑533‑8477
- Monroeville VA Clinic – 159 Whetstone Street, Monroeville, AL 36460 | Phone: 251‑743‑5861
- Oxford VA Clinic – 96 Ali Way, Oxford, AL 36203 | Phone: 256‑832‑4141
- Shoals VA Clinic – 422 Cox Boulevard, Sheffield, AL 35660 | Phone: 256‑383‑7822
- Tillman’s Corner VA Clinic – 4444 Demetropolis Road, Mobile, AL 36619 | Phone: 251‑219‑3900
- Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center Outpatient – 3701 Loop Road East, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404 | Phone: 205‑554‑2000
Housing Assistance and Support for Veterans in the State of Alabama
There are over 377,000 veterans in Alabama and many face serious challenges after their service that can lead to housing instability or homelessness. The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) offers veterans who are homeless or at risk several programs designed to provide not just housing, but ongoing support. The HUD-VASH program combines housing vouchers with VA case management to help veterans maintain long-term housing, while the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program provides temporary financial assistance and case management for veterans who are either homeless or facing eviction.
SSVF services are available in numerous Alabama counties, especially in areas like Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Montgomery. These services help pay for things like rent, security deposits, moving expenses, and emergency housing. Case managers work closely with veterans to create long-term housing plans that include job support, healthcare, and counseling.
Alabama’s VA medical centers, such as those in Tuskegee and Birmingham, also have HUD-VASH case managers on staff to work directly with veterans in need of housing. In Dothan, for example, social workers can help veterans transition from the streets into their own homes, connecting them with landlords, resources, and long-term stability.
If you’re a veteran struggling with homelessness or housing insecurity and were denied the disability compensation that could provide the financial support you need, we can help. Our disability law firm specializes in assisting veterans who lack stable housing or employment, with no upfront cost. Get in touch with our VA-accredited lawyers for a free case evaluation.