Many veterans have a negative experience with the VA disability claims process. The system feels cold, complicated, and even demoralizing, when you know your condition is real but the VA refuses to see the full impact it has on your life. Hill & Ponton was created to change that experience.
Founded by a veteran, our firm is dedicated to helping disabled veterans challenge unfair VA decisions and secure the benefits they truly deserve. Hill & Ponton is uniquely specialized in VA disability law and our attorneys have spent decades conquering the bureaucratic obstacles faced by veterans and their families.
If you’ve been denied or underrated, we’re ready to step in and fight on your behalf, with no upfront costs. We’ve represented thousands of veterans nationwide, and we’re proud to stand with the veterans of Dover and Delaware. Tell us about your case, and let us put our experience to work for you.
Our Legal Services
At Hill & Ponton, we are dedicated to helping Dover veterans who have been wrongfully denied, underrated, or overlooked by the VA. Whether your condition began years ago or worsened recently, we can guide you through the entire claims and appeals process and fight for the benefits you have earned. Here are the types of cases we help disabled veterans win:
- Disability Compensation: We work to secure the highest possible monthly, tax-free benefits for your service-connected conditions. If your rating doesn’t match the severity of your symptoms, we’ll fight to correct it.
- VA Disability Appeals: A denial is not the end of the road. We handle all appeal lanes (Supplemental Claims, Higher-Level Reviews and Board of Veterans’ Appeals hearings) and help you choose the option most likely to produce a successful outcome.
- Increased Compensation: If your condition has deteriorated over time, you may be entitled to a higher rating. We gather updated medical records, expert opinions, and functional evidence to support your request for an increase.
- Special Monthly Compensation: Veterans with severe disabilities or multiple significant impairments may qualify for additional compensation. We evaluate your eligibility and submit comprehensive evidence to support an SMC claim and win compensation beyond the standard VA rating scale.
- Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability: If your service-connected disabilities prevent you from maintaining full-time employment, you may qualify for TDIU, which pays at the 100% disability rate even when your combined rating is below 100%.
- DIC and Survivor Benefits: We represent surviving spouses, children, and parents who lost a loved one due to a service-related condition. Navigating DIC claims can be overwhelming; our lawyers guide families through each step of the appeal to ensure success.
What Are You Entitled to Receive?
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs assigns ratings on a scale that moves in 10% increments, beginning at 10% and going all the way up to 100%. A higher rating means the VA recognizes greater functional impairment and awards higher monthly payments in response.
Here are the current VA monthly compensation amounts for veterans with no dependents. Veterans with spouses, dependent children, or dependent parents qualify for increased amounts.
- 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
The VA disability rating you receive plays a central role in determining not only your monthly tax-free compensation, but also your eligibility for many federal and state veterans benefits such as tax exemptions and various discounts for disabled veterans.
Work with us to get your Benefits
Proving Toxic Exposure Claims
Veterans in the Dover area may have served at military installations where dangerous chemicals (including PFAS, jet fuel or solvents) were present. The following military bases have documented or suspected toxic exposure risks:
- Dover Air Force Base (Dover, DE) – Dover AFB is one of the most significant contamination sites in Delaware. The EPA and Department of Defense have documented widespread PFAS contamination in soil and groundwater, largely due to the historic use of AFFF firefighting foam. Other contaminants, including petroleum products and industrial solvents, have also been detected in various locations on base.
- Aberdeen Proving Ground (MD) – Approximately an hour from Dover, Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland is one of the most extensively contaminated military installations in the Mid-Atlantic. For decades, APG was used for weapons development, chemical agent testing, and hazardous waste disposal.
- Fort Meade (MD) – Located in neighboring Maryland, Fort Meade has documented contamination involving PFAS, as well as petroleum products, chlorinated solvents, and landfill-related pollutants. Veterans who worked in communications, intelligence, maintenance, or emergency response roles may have had direct or environmental exposure.
If you served at one of these contaminated installations (or others across the U.S.) and later developed serious health problems, you may be entitled to compensation, even if the VA denied your claim before. But toxic exposure cases require a higher level of evidence and expertise than most disability claims. Our lawyers specialize in assisting denied veterans prove their cases and win the compensation they deserve. Contact us to evaluate your case.
What Does It Take to Win a VA Disability Claim?
To successfully secure VA disability benefits, every veteran must provide the VA with evidence for the 3 essential elements of service connection:
- A Current Diagnosis – You must have a recent, formal diagnosis from a licensed medical professional. This confirms that the condition you are claiming is real, documented, and currently affecting your daily life. Without a diagnosis, the VA will automatically deny the claim.
- Evidence of a Service-Related Event – The VA must see proof that something during your time in uniform caused, contributed to, or worsened your condition. This may include a documented injury or accident, exposure to hazardous materials (e.g., burn pits, Agent Orange), a traumatic or stressful event supporting PTSD or other mental health claims, etc.
- A Medical Link Between the Two (Nexus) – This is the most difficult part of the process and the most common reason claims are denied. You must provide a compelling medical opinion stating that your condition is “at least as likely as not” related to your service.
Our VA disability lawyers work closely with Dover veterans to navigate these complex requirements. We handle every critical step of the process:
- Collecting and organizing all medical records
- Documenting the in-service event, exposure, or injury with the proper evidence
- Partnering with trusted medical experts to produce strong nexus opinions
- Ensuring the claim meets all legal and evidentiary standards required for approval
When Should You Hire a VA Disability Lawyer?
While many veterans in Dover and Kent County begin their VA disability claims on their own or with initial help from a Veteran Service Officer (VSO), there comes a point when experienced legal representation becomes essential. VSOs provide valuable support, but they are not attorneys. They typically cannot handle complex appeals, develop advanced legal arguments, or obtain the specialized medical evidence often needed to overturn a VA denial.
When your claim involves complex medical issues, toxic exposure, mental health conditions, or multiple secondary disabilities, skilled legal representation significantly improves your chances of securing the benefits you’ve earned. A dedicated disability lawyer can:
- Analyze your denial and identify legal or procedural errors
- Develop a strategic plan based on the most current VA laws and regulations
- Gather and develop strong evidence, including independent medical opinions and nexus letters
- Write persuasive legal arguments to strengthen your appeal
- Represent you before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA)
Hill & Ponton has a 96% success rate in winning VA disability appeals for veterans, locally and across the country. Our track record reflects our singular focus on VA disability law and our commitment to achieving the best possible results for every veteran we represent.
Local Resources for Veterans in Dover and Kent County
- Office of Veterans Services: Robbins Building, 802 Silver Lake Blvd., Suite 100, Dover, DE 19904. Phone: 302‑739‑2792
- Kent County VA Outpatient Clinic: Delivers outpatient primary care, mental health, telehealth, laboratory services, women’s health, addiction treatment and more to veterans residing in the Kent and Sussex counties. Address: 655 South Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901. Phone: 1‑800‑461‑8262
- Dover Satellite Vet Center Office (inside Kent County VA Clinic): Provides assistance with VA benefits and community outreach, counseling, PTSD and MST treatment and substance‑use support, regardless of whether a veteran is already enrolled in VA care or has a disability rating. Address: 655 South Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901. Phone: 302-994-1660
Veterans’ Housing Assistance and Support
Dover and Kent County are home to a significant number of veterans who rely on state and federal support to maintain stable housing. Dover-area veterans have access to VA homeless services, state programs, and local nonprofit support specifically designed to prevent homelessness or help veterans return to stable housing as quickly as possible. These services are overseen by the Wilmington VA Medical Center and include:
- Homeless outreach and crisis intervention
- Case management
- Housing navigation
- Mental health and substance-use treatment referrals
- Help obtaining VA benefits and healthcare
When VA benefits are denied or restricted due to a low rating, veterans can struggle to afford basic necessities, especially housing. Many of the homeless veterans our VA disability lawyers assist are appealing a denial or fighting for an increased rating so they can achieve stability.
At Hill & Ponton, we prioritize veterans who face housing insecurity or lack of employment because of their disabilities. We work on a no-win, no-fee basis, meaning veterans pay nothing unless we win their appeal. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.