In Lexington and throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky, veterans rely on VA disability benefits to manage healthcare, support their families, and maintain their quality of life. Unfortunately, many find their claims unfairly denied or underrated.
At Hill & Ponton, our mission is to stand by veterans who have been left to navigate a complex and often frustrating VA system on their own. Unlike general practice firms that handle various types of law, we don’t split our focus. Every attorney and case manager on our team is 100% dedicated to assisting disabled veterans. We’ve represented thousands of veterans nationwide and are proud to bring that expertise to the Lexington community.
It costs nothing to get started: we work on a contingency basis, meaning you don’t pay us anything unless we win your case. Don’t let a complicated system stand between you and the benefits you’ve earned. Tell us about your claim today, and let our experience work for you.
Our Legal Services
- Disability Compensation: We work to secure the highest possible tax-free monthly compensation for every service-connected condition you have. If the VA previously denied your claim or assigned a rating that doesn’t accurately reflect the severity of your disabilities, we aggressively pursue the correction of that decision (including any retroactive pay you are rightfully owed).
- VA Disability Appeals: When a claim is denied or underrrated, we step in as your legal representative and take full control of the appeals process to ensure success. We carefully review your VA decision, identify any errors in the VA’s reasoning, and gather the medical and legal evidence needed to overturn the ruling.
- Increased Compensation: If your service-connected conditions have deteriorated since your last evaluation (something common among veterans treated at the Lexington VA Medical Center), you may qualify for a higher disability rating. We handle all aspects of proving worsening symptoms, including medical record development, independent medical opinions, and functional assessments, ensuring the VA fully understands the extent of your limitations.
- Special Monthly Compensation: Veterans with severe disabilities may be eligible for Special Monthly Compensation, which pays above the standard VA rating schedule. We review your full medical background to determine whether you qualify and assemble the detailed evidence needed to support your SMC claim.
- Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability: If your service-connected conditions prevent you from maintaining full-time employment that pays above poverty level, you may qualify for TDIU, which results in payment at the 100% rate even if your combined rating is lower.
- DIC and Survivor Benefits: We also help families throughout the Lexington region (including Fayette, Jessamine, Madison, Clark, Scott, and Woodford counties) obtain Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) when a veteran’s death is related to a service-connected condition. Widows and widowers, dependent children, and in some cases dependent parents may also be eligible for other survivor benefits.
Disability Ratings and Compensation
The VA uses a disability rating to quantify how much your service-connected conditions impact your health, your daily routine, and your ability to maintain steady employment. This rating (a percentage ranging from 0% to 100% in 10% increments) is the primary factor in determining your tax-free monthly compensation.
But calculating your total benefit isn’t as simple as adding percentages together. When a veteran has multiple service-connected conditions, the VA applies a complex combined ratings formula. This means that two significant disabilities may not result in the total you’d expect.
If you’re trying to make sense of your current rating, our VA Disability Calculator can help you estimate your combined rating and your projected monthly payment. Here are the current disability compensation levels for a veteran with no dependents:
- 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
Beyond federal disability compensation, Lexington veterans may also be eligible for specific Kentucky state veteran benefits, ranging from property tax exemptions to college tuition waivers for dependents. Our legal team is committed to helping you navigate the system to ensure you receive every dollar and resource you are entitled to.
Work with us to get your Benefits
Proving Toxic Exposure Claims
Many veterans living in Lexington, Fayette County, and the surrounding Bluegrass region served at military installations where they were exposed to dangerous chemicals. Understanding the contamination history of local and regional installations can be critical in proving service connection. Several bases in and around Kentucky have been identified by the Department of Defense, the EPA, and environmental remediation programs as having potential toxic exposure:
- Blue Grass Army Depot (Richmond, KY) – Located just southeast of Lexington, Blue Grass Army Depot has one of the most extensive contamination histories in Kentucky. The installation stored and disposed of chemical munitions for decades and the risk of exposure remains.
- Fort Knox – Many Lexington-area veterans trained or served at Fort Knox due to its proximity and its role as a major training base. Located south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown, Kentucky’s most famous military installation has documented PFAS contamination associated with decades of AFFF (firefighting foam) use. DoD environmental reports also confirmed petroleum leaks, fuel spills and solvent contamination in maintenance and industrial areas.
- Fort Campbell – Although located further southwest on the border with Tennessee, Fort Campbell has been investigated for contamination with PFAS from AFFF training areas, solvents used in aircraft and vehicle maintenance and petroleum leaks impacting soil and groundwater. Veterans in aviation, maintenance, fire response, and infantry training may have been exposed.
Even if the VA previously denied your claim, updated DoD environmental findings and new PACT Act provisions may support an appeal. Hill & Ponton lawyers can assist veterans in building strong toxic exposure cases by gathering exposure evidence, obtaining medical nexus opinions, and challenging VA errors.
Meeting VA Requirements
To be granted VA disability benefits, veterans (or their lawyers) must prove that military service has caused or contributed to the disability. The VA looks for three specific elements of service connection, the so-called Caluza triangle. If any one of these is missing or poorly documented, your claim is likely to be denied.
- 1. A Current, Valid Disability. Whether you are being treated in the Lexington VA Health Care System or by a private doctor in the Bluegrass region, your records must be recent, specific, and formally diagnose the condition. A vague mention of “back pain” or “anxiety” without a clinical diagnosis is often enough for the VA to dismiss a claim.
- An In-Service Event or Injury. You must be able to point to a specific event, injury, or exposure that occurred while you were in uniform. This could be a training accident, a specific incident during a deployment, or documented toxic exposure. We help veterans dig through service treatment records, duty logs, and “buddy statements” to establish exactly when and where the damage occurred.
- A Medical Nexus. This is the bridge between your service and your current health. You need a medical opinion stating that your disability is “at least as likely as not” connected to your time in the military. A strong nexus letter doesn’t just offer an opinion; it provides a logical, evidence-based argument that connects your military history to your current diagnosis using medical science and your personal service records.
Many veterans attempt to navigate this process alone, only to have their claims denied because they weren’t presented in a way the VA accepts. At Hill & Ponton, we specialize in finding the right evidence and “translating” your medical history into the specific legal language the VA requires. Our role is to ensure your service is respected and your claim is won.
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When Should You Hire a VA Disability Lawyer?
Many veterans start the VA disability process on their own or with initial help from a Veteran Service Officer (VSO). VSOs provide valuable guidance for filing early claims, but their role is limited: they are not attorneys and cannot always manage the complex legal and medical issues that arise during the appeals process.
When a case involves serious medical questions, toxic exposure, psychological conditions, or multiple disabilities that interact with one another, having a dedicated VA disability attorney becomes crucial. An attorney can uncover legal, procedural or evidentiary mistakes and gather the medical documentation the VA overlooks, including independent medical opinions and detailed nexus letters.
Hill & Ponton maintains a 96% success rate in winning VA disability appeals for veterans in Kentucky and across the United States. This level of success comes from our singular focus: we practice only VA disability law. An attorney who focuses exclusively on VA disability law can dramatically strengthen your case by identifying the exact reasons for the denial and building a comprehensive and legally sound strategy to challenge it.
Local Resources for Lexington Veterans
Veterans in the Lexington area have access to multiple organizations who assist in obtaining VA disability benefits, health care and various programs for veterans. The Lexington Commission on Veterans’ Affairs can put veterans in touch with a wide range of local resources and the Lexington VA Health Care facilities provide comprehensive medical, mental health, and benefits assistance services, ensuring that veterans receive the support they need for both health care and the VA disability claims process. VA health care facilities include:
- Troy Bowling Campus: 1101 Veterans Drive, Lexington, KY 40502-2235
- Franklin R. Sousley Campus: 2250 Leestown Road, Lexington, KY 40511-1052
- Lexington Vet Center: 1500 Leestown Road, Lexington, KY 40511
Veterans’ Housing Assistance and Support
Veterans in Lexington facing homelessness or housing instability have access to a strong support network through the Lexington VA Health Care System and its community partners. The VA’s Homeless Programs team provides outreach, crisis stabilization, housing navigation, case management, mental health and substance-use referrals, and long-term support for veterans transitioning into stable housing.
Many veterans also use HUD-VASH vouchers, Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) programs, and transitional housing options available through local nonprofit partners who coordinate closely with the VA. These programs help veterans access safe housing, overcome financial barriers, and maintain long-term stability.
Hill & Ponton prioritizes disabled veterans with complicated cases. If your current benefits are too low or the VA wrongly denied your claim, contact us for a free case evaluation so we can help you obtain the compensation and support necessary for long-term stability.