Just like in the service, success with a VA disability claim takes strategy, persistence, and the right team by your side. If your claim has been denied or your rating feels too low, you need a VA-accredited attorney who knows how to gather the evidence and press the fight for the benefits you’ve earned.
At Hill & Ponton, veterans’ disability law is all we do – and we’ve been doing it for more than 30 years. With a 96% success rate on the cases we take, we’re proud to stand with Baltimore’s veteran community, bringing the dedication, compassion, and experience needed to take on the VA and win.
Our Legal Services for Baltimore Veterans
- Disability Compensation: We help veterans show that their medical conditions are connected to their service, securing monthly, tax-free VA disability payments.
- VA Appeals: If your claim has been denied or your rating is too low, we’ll identify the strongest appeal path (Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or the Board of Veterans’ Appeals) and guide you every step of the way.
- Rating Increases: When your condition worsens or the VA undervalues your disability, we fight for a higher rating so you receive the full compensation you deserve.
- DIC and Survivor Benefits: We assist surviving spouses, children, and parents of veterans who died from service-connected conditions, helping them apply for DIC and other survivor benefits.
- Special Monthly Compensation (SMC): For veterans with severe service-connected disabilities who need additional care or support, we pursue SMC – a higher level of VA compensation
- Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability: If your disabilities keep you from keeping a job, we help you win TDIU, which pays at the 100% disability rate even if your combined rating is lower.
What Is the VA Looking for in a Disability Claim?
- Current Medical Diagnosis: You must have a formal diagnosis from a qualified healthcare professional.
- In-Service Event, Injury, or Illness: There needs to be documented evidence that something occurred during your military service that could have caused or contributed to your condition.
- Nexus: Medical evidence must link your current condition to that in-service event. This is often the most challenging part (and where having an experienced lawyer can make a real difference).
Claims are frequently denied due to missing medical records, weak documentation, or a failure to clearly connect symptoms to service.
Our VA-accredited attorneys focus on securing detailed evidence, working with doctors to obtain strong nexus opinions, and presenting a thoroughly documented case to give you the best possible chance at approval.
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Proving Toxic Exposure Claims
Baltimore and the surrounding region are home to multiple military installations with a long history of contamination linked to serious health conditions such as cancers, respiratory illnesses, and neurological damage. And while the PACT Act expanded eligibility for toxic exposure claims, many are not yet covered by presumptive VA rules. This gap means veterans must often prove their conditions are connected to their service, which can make claims more complex. If you trained, lived, or worked at one of these Maryland bases (or others) and believe your current disability is connected to service, you may be entitled to VA disability benefits:
- Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard – Longtime shipbuilding and repair facility on the South Baltimore waterfront. Toxic contamination includes solvents, oils, heavy metals (lead, arsenic), PCBs, and petroleum hydrocarbons. Designated a Superfund site with soil and groundwater cleanup underway.
- Warfield Air National Guard Base at Martin State Airport – Only 10 miles northeast of Baltimore in Middle River, this is a known site of PFAS contamination from historic firefighting foam use.
- Aberdeen Proving Ground – Located 26 miles northeast of Baltimore in the Harford and Baltimore counties, it has a history of chemical warfare agent testing and disposal with widespread contamination from solvents and hazardous wastes.
- Fort George G. Meade – This military base in Anne Arundel County, 20 miles southwest of Baltimore, was used by the Army Reserve and National Guard to prepare for Operation Desert Shield and veterans may have been exposed to a wide range of hazards discovered on site, from arsenic to benzene, lead, pesticides or VOCs.
- Former Naval Training Center Bainbridge – Superfund site with contamination from burn pits, solvents, and landfill waste.
- Fort Detrick – Located in Frederick, 45 miles west of Baltimore, the fort’s Area B is a Superfund site contaminated with chlorinated solvents like TCE and PCE from laboratory waste disposal.
Our lawyers may be able to build the legal case necessary to ensure your disability is recognized and compensated appropriately. We work with no upfront costs and only get paid if we win. Contact us to discuss your claim.
Why Should You Get a VA Disability Lawyer?
Many Baltimore veterans begin their VA claims with the help of Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs). These groups are a great first step, but if your claim is denied, or your rating doesn’t reflect the real impact of your condition, it may be time to turn to attorneys who focus only on VA disability law. That’s where we come in.
What We Offer Baltimore Veterans
- Dedicated VA Disability Lawyers: Our VA-accredited attorneys focus exclusively on disability law and stay up to date with new rules like the PACT Act.
- Building Strong Evidence: We collect your records, request your C-file, and work with medical experts to create powerful nexus letters linking your condition to service.
- Choosing the Right Appeal Path: Whether it’s a Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or Board appeal, we guide you through the process and meet every deadline.
- Maximizing Benefits: From higher ratings to Special Monthly Compensation and TDIU, we pursue every benefit you’re entitled to.
Increasing Your Chances of Success
Veterans represented by attorneys are far more likely to succeed on appeal. At Hill & Ponton, we win 96% of the cases we take. Our success comes from deep knowledge of VA law, strong advocacy, and an unwavering commitment to Baltimore’s veterans. Read our clients’ stories or get in touch to see how we can help you win your benefits.
Disability Ratings and Compensation
The VA assigns disability ratings in 10% increments based on how severe your service-connected conditions are. Your rating directly determines the amount of monthly, tax-free compensation you receive.
If you have multiple conditions, the VA doesn’t just add the ratings together – it uses a complex formula that often results in a lower combined rating than you might expect. That’s why working to raise your rating can make a major difference in your monthly benefits.
Here’s the current monthly compensation for a single Baltimore veteran with no dependent children or parents:
- 10%: $180.42
- 20%: $356.66
- 30%: $552.47
- 40%: $795.84
- 50%: $1,132.90
- 60%: $1,435.02
- 70%: $1,808.45
- 80%: $2,102.15
- 90%: $2,362.30
- 100%: $3,938.58
Veterans with dependents qualify for additional monthly compensation. See current disability rates.
Disabled veterans living in Baltimore are also eligible for Maryland veterans benefits at state and county level, including property tax exemptions, education assistance, and other discounts.
Work with us to get your benefits
Resources for Baltimore’s Disabled Veterans
Veteran Assistance
MDVA Baltimore Service Office – 31 Hopkins Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21201 | Phone: 410-230-4444
Community Resource & Referral Center (CRRC) – 209 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 | Phone: 410-605-7016
Operated by the VA, this facility assists veterans by connecting them to benefits, housing, health care, and employment support.
VA Healthcare
Baltimore VA Medical Center – 10 North Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 | Phone: 410-605-7000
Loch Raven VA Community Living & Rehabilitation Center – 3900 Loch Raven Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21218 | Phone: 410-605-7000
Eastern Baltimore County VA Clinic – 5235 King Avenue, Suite 200, Rosedale, MD 21237 | Phone: 410-605-7000
Housing Assistance for Veterans in Baltimore
Baltimore is home to one of Maryland’s largest veteran populations, and many are struggling with the city’s high housing costs, aging housing stock, and limited affordable rental options. Disabled veterans and those living on fixed incomes often face the greatest challenges in securing safe and stable housing. To respond, Baltimore offers a wide network of local, state, and federal programs dedicated to preventing and ending veteran homelessness.
The Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs coordinate to provide HUD-VASH housing vouchers, which combine rental subsidies with case management and health care support for veterans in the Baltimore area. Veterans may also qualify for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program, which provides rapid rehousing, homelessness prevention, and financial assistance for rent and utilities.
Baltimore is also home to the Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training, a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to ending veteran homelessness. MCVET provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, workforce development, and supportive services that help veterans return to stable and independent living. In addition, veterans in Baltimore can access housing help through:
- Baltimore City’s Homeless Services Program, which works with local shelters and service providers to place veterans into permanent housing.
- Community Resource & Referral Center (CRRC) in downtown Baltimore, operated by the VA, which connects homeless and at-risk veterans with housing, medical care, employment resources, and social services.
- Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, which funds affordable housing projects and collaborates with veteran-serving organizations across the city.
At Hill & Ponton, we understand that housing insecurity is often made worse when veterans are denied the disability benefits they’ve earned. If you are a Baltimore veteran facing unstable housing due to an unfair disability rating or denial of benefits, our VA-accredited attorneys are ready to fight for you, at no upfront cost. Get a free evaluation of your case today.