More than 200,000 veterans call Louisiana home and 37% of them live with a service-connected disability. Yet too often, these same veterans find themselves battling a complicated VA system where disability claims get delayed, ratings come back too low, and legitimate conditions are denied outright. Older veterans in particular are still living with the physical and emotional scars of service and some have gone decades without the full compensation they rightfully earned.
That’s where Hill & Ponton steps in. Veterans’ disability law isn’t just part of what we do, it’s our only focus. Our VA-accredited attorneys specialize in appeals and have helped thousands of disabled veterans across the country overturn unfair VA decisions and win the benefits they deserve.
If the VA denied your claim, gave you a rating that doesn’t reflect your true level of disability, or failed to recognize your eligibility for Individual Unemployability or Special Monthly Compensation, we can help. Our lawyers know exactly what evidence the VA needs to see.
With a 96% success rate in the cases we take on, Hill & Ponton has built its reputation on one mission: fighting for the veterans who fought for us. Let us stand beside you and help you win the compensation your service deserves.
Our Legal Services for Louisiana Veterans
- Disability Compensation: Our attorneys help Louisiana veterans secure the maximum compensation available for physical or mental health conditions linked to their time in service. Whether your disability began during active duty or was made worse after discharge, we collect the medical records, service documents, and expert opinions needed to build a strong case and prove your right to full benefits.
- Appeals: If the VA denied your claim or gave you a rating that doesn’t reflect the true impact of your condition, our team will take charge of the entire appeals process. From gathering new evidence and medical statements to submitting complete, accurate paperwork, we’ll make sure your appeal is reviewed fairly and given the attention it deserves.
- Rating Increases: If your health has declined since the VA’s original decision, or your condition has worsened over time, you may qualify for a higher disability rating and greater monthly compensation. We’ll help you appeal and support it with up-to-date medical evidence and legal analysis.
- DIC and Survivor Benefits: We represent the spouses, children, and parents of Louisiana veterans who lost their lives in the line of duty or as a result of service-connected conditions. Our attorneys help families apply for DIC and other survivor benefits, ensuring they receive the financial and emotional support they’re entitled to.
- Special Monthly Compensation: Veterans who live with severe or multiple disabilities (such as the loss of use of a limb, paralysis, or the need for daily personal care) may qualify for Special Monthly Compensation, an extra payment beyond the standard 100% rate. If your SMC claim was denied or undervalued, we’ll fight to correct it.
- Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability: If your service-connected disabilities make it impossible to maintain steady employment, you may be eligible for TDIU, which provides compensation at the 100% disability rate even if your combined rating is lower. Our law firm helps Louisiana veterans prove unemployability and win the full disability benefits they deserve.
Disability Ratings and Compensation
Your VA disability rating reflects how serious your service-connected condition is and how much it impacts your everyday life (including your ability to work, care for yourself, and maintain financial stability). The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs assigns ratings in increments of 10%, from 10% up to 100%, with each step representing a higher level of disability and a larger monthly, tax-free payment.
If you’re living with more than one service-connected condition, the VA doesn’t simply add those percentages together. Instead, it uses a combined ratings formula, which often results in a total rating that’s lower than the simple sum of your individual percentages. That’s why every single percentage point counts: even a small increase can make a significant difference in your monthly benefits.
Below are the current 2025 VA monthly compensation rates for a single Louisiana veteran with no dependents:
- 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
Veterans with spouses, children, or dependent parents may qualify for additional monthly amounts. The VA updates these figures each year to reflect cost-of-living adjustments. You can calculate your combined rating and expected payment with the VA Disability Calculator.
Louisiana State Benefits for Disabled Veterans
In addition to federal VA disability compensation, Louisiana provides its own state-level programs designed to support disabled veterans and their families through tax relief, free college tuition, etc.
Together, your VA disability compensation and Louisiana state benefits can provide long-term stability and recognition for your service. If your current VA rating doesn’t reflect the true impact of your condition, Hill & Ponton can help you pursue the higher rating and the additional benefits you deserve.
Work with us to get your benefits
When Should You Hire a VA Disability Lawyer?
Many Louisiana veterans begin their VA disability claim on their own, and that’s a great first step. But if the VA denies your claim, or gives you a rating that doesn’t truly reflect the toll your condition takes on your life, that’s when it’s time to bring in a skilled VA appeal lawyer.
The VA appeals process can be frustrating and confusing, filled with shifting regulations, strict timelines, and technical details that can easily trip up even the most organized veteran. Missing a single form, deadline, or piece of medical evidence can set your claim back months or even cost you the benefits you’ve earned.
That’s where Hill & Ponton comes in. Our VA-accredited attorneys have dedicated their careers to helping veterans in Louisiana and across the country appeal unfair decisions and secure the benefits they deserve. We know how the VA thinks, what evidence carries weight, and how to build a persuasive case that gets results.
We dig deep into your medical and service records, consult with trusted medical experts, and prepare legal arguments that show how your service-connected conditions truly affect your health, your work, and your daily life.
Your VA Appeal Options
- Supplemental Claim: If there is new and relevant evidence (like updated medical reports, new diagnoses, or service documents that weren’t included before), this option allows the VA to take another look at your case with the additional information.
- Higher-Level Review: If you believe the VA made a clear error the first time, you can request a Higher-Level Review. A more senior VA reviewer will re-examine your case, without requiring new evidence. This option can be faster when the issue is a simple mistake or misinterpretation.
- Board of Veterans’ Appeals Review: This is the highest level of appeal within the VA. You can choose a direct review (no new evidence), submit new supporting documents, or request a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge to tell your story in person or virtually.
If the VA hasn’t recognized the full impact of your service-connected disability, let our VA disability lawyers handle your appeal and win the benefits you’ve earned. With a 96% success rate in the cases we take on, our record speaks for itself. We never charge upfront fees, and your case evaluation is completely free. Contact us today to discuss your appeal.
What It Takes to Win Your Appeal
Many Louisiana veterans are denied VA disability benefits not because they don’t qualify, but because the evidence in their claim is incomplete or unclear. The VA needs very specific proof before approving a disability claim or assigning the right rating. To win your case, you must show three key elements:
- Current Diagnosis: Proof that you have a medical condition diagnosed by a qualified healthcare provider.
- In-Service Event: Evidence that an injury, illness, or harmful exposure occurred during your military service.
- Nexus: A doctor’s opinion linking your current condition to your service, showing it is “at least as likely as not” related to your time in uniform.
Without strong documentation for all three, even valid claims can be denied or underrated. Common reasons veterans lose VA claims include:
- Missing or weak service connection evidence
- Incomplete medical records or vague doctor’s statements
- Missed filing or appeal deadlines
- VA errors or overlooked facts in your file
At Hill & Ponton, we focus exclusively on VA disability appeals. Our lawyers will assist you in obtaining medical opinions and all the required medical and service evidence, and ensure the appeal meets VA procedures and deadlines.
Get a free case evaluation
VA Disability for Toxic Exposure
Louisiana hosts a number of active, reserve, National Guard, and decommissioned sites where contamination from PFAS, solvents, fuel leaks, heavy metals, munitions waste, or pesticide use has been documented or suspected. If you served at or near one of these locations and later developed a condition related to toxic exposure, you may be entitled to VA disability benefits:
- Fort Polk: Currently under PFAS investigation for contamination from firefighting foam and other hazardous materials.
- Barksdale Air Force Base: Confirmed PFAS contamination in groundwater due to historic use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) during firefighting operations.
- Camp Minden / Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant (LAAP): Former munitions site contaminated with explosives like RDX and TNT, solvents, and heavy metals in both soil and groundwater.
- England Air Force Base: Decommissioned site in Alexandria, LA, with documented high PFAS levels in soil and water from historical firefighting and industrial activity.
- Camp Claiborne: A former World War II training base, now a FUDS site with potential residual contamination from artillery use, solvents, and fuel storage.
- Camp Livingston: Decommissioned Army base included in environmental oversight efforts due to past military activity that may have involved chemical exposure or munitions residue.
Veterans with conditions linked to those contaminants who served at these or other installations with toxic exposure within the U.S. should seek VA disability benefits. If the VA lacks sufficient documentation or initially denies your claim, our VA disability attorneys may be able to assist you. Get in touch for a free evaluation of the case – we specialize in VA appeals and only get paid if we win your claim.
Legal Resources and Lawyers Near You
Shreveport-Bossier
Bossier Parish Department of Veterans Affairs: 2292 Barksdale Blvd, Suite A, Bossier City, LA 71112; Phone: 318-741‑8391
Slidell
St. Tammany Parish Department of Veterans Affairs: 520 Old Spanish Trail, Suite 2-E, Slidell, LA 70458 | Phone: 985-645‑3500
Louisiana VA Facilities Providing Veteran Assistance
Veterans Service Offices / Parish VSOs
- Acadia Parish Veterans Service Office – 521 SW Court Circle, Crowley, LA 70526 | Phone: 337‑788‑7539
- Allen Parish Veterans Service Office – 105 N. Fifth Street, Oberlin, LA 70655 | Phone: 337‑639‑4370
- Ascension Parish Veterans Service Office – 828 S. Irma Blvd, Gonzales, LA 70737 | Phone: 225‑644‑7475
- Assumption Parish Veterans Service Office – 4910 Highway 308, Napoleonville, LA 70390 | Phone: 985‑369‑6335
- Avoyelles Parish Veterans Service Office – 8592 Highway 1, Suite 1, Mansura, LA 71350 | Phone: 318‑739‑0147
- Beauregard Parish Veterans Service Office – 250 West 7th Street, DeRidder, LA 70634 | Phone: 337‑463‑7305
- Bienville Parish Veterans Service Office – 200 Gap Farms Road, Arcadia, LA 71001 | Phone: 318‑263‑7419
- Caddo Parish Veterans Service Office – 1031 Creswell Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71101 | Phone: 318‑676‑7540
- Calcasieu Parish Veterans Service Office – 1000 Ryan Street, Ground Floor, Lake Charles, LA 70601 | Phone: 337‑491‑2312
- Caldwell Parish Veterans Service Office – 201 Main Street, Suite 6, Columbia, LA 71418 | Phone: 318‑649‑2552
- Plaquemines Parish Veterans Affairs Office – 333 F. Edward Hebert Blvd, Building 600, Belle Chasse, LA 70037 | Phone: 504‑934‑6110
Louisiana Vet Centers
- Alexandria Vet Center – 5803 Coliseum Blvd, Suite D, Alexandria, LA 71303 | Phone: 318‑466‑4327
- Baton Rouge Vet Center – 7850 Anselmo Lane, Suite B, Baton Rouge, LA 70810 | Phone: 225‑761‑3140
- New Orleans Vet Center – 1250 Poydras Street, Suite 400, New Orleans, LA 70113 | Phone: 504‑507‑4977
- Shreveport Vet Center – 2800 Youree Drive, Building 1, Suite 105, Shreveport, LA 71104 | Phone: 318‑861‑1776
VA Medical centers
- Alexandria VA Medical Center – 2495 Shreveport Highway, Pineville, LA 71360 | Phone: 318‑473‑0010
- Overton Brooks VA Medical Center – 510 East Stoner Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71101 | Phone: 318‑221‑8411
- New Orleans VA Medical Center – 2400 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119
VA Clinics / CBOC
- Baton Rouge VA Clinic – 7968 Essen Park Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
- Bogalusa VA Clinic – 521 Ontario Street, Bogalusa, LA 70427
- Franklin VA Clinic – 1801 Main Street, Franklin, LA 70538
- Hammond VA Clinic – 1131 South Morrison Boulevard, Hammond, LA 70403
- Houma VA Clinic – 6433 West Park Avenue, Houma, LA 70364
- Slidell VA Clinic – 60491 Doss Drive, Suite B, Slidell, LA 70460
- St. John VA Clinic – 4004 West Airline Highway, Reserve, LA 70084
Housing Assistance and Support for Veterans in the State of Louisiana
According to the 2024 Point‑in‑Time (PIT) Count, 223 veterans experienced homelessness in the state of Louisiana. Many more may struggle with housing costs, limited affordable rentals, or gaps in benefits that put them at risk of homelessness. Louisiana addresses this by participating in key federal‑state programs, such as HUD‑VASH and Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), designed to offer housing and financial assistance to veterans and their families.
In September 2025, the VA announced $12 million in grants to Louisiana organizations that assist veterans, for the purpose of funding the provision of housing, health care, counseling, financial planning and other supportive services through 2026.
While these efforts are making a difference, a large number of veterans in Louisiana still live with housing instability or in conditions that strain their resources. If you’re one of them and you believe a denied or low VA disability rating is adding to your struggles, we’re here to help. Our VA‑accredited attorneys specialize in appeals for veterans dealing with housing insecurity or unemployment and will review your case at no upfront cost. Reach out for a free evaluation – you don’t pay unless we win.