Has your VA claim been denied, or were you given a low rating? More than a quarter of Ohio’s almost 700,000 veterans currently receive VA disability compensation, but many disabled veterans are still struggling to have their conditions fully recognized and properly compensated by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
At Hill & Ponton, we specialize exclusively in veterans’ disability law, with a singular purpose: to win your case and secure the benefits you’ve earned. Our dedicated team of VA-accredited disability lawyers have successfully handled thousands of appeals for disabled veterans and their families in Ohio and nationwide. We’d be honored to do the same for you.
Our VA Lawyers Help You Secure Maximum Benefits
- Disability Compensation: We can help you obtain monthly tax-free payments from the VA for your service-connected disability.
- Appeals: If your initial claim was denied, we’ll navigate the complex VA appeals process on your behalf and get you the benefits you deserve.
- Rating Increases: If your service-connected disability has worsened, we can assist you in obtaining a higher rating that will entitle you to increased compensation.
- Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC): We provide legal assistance to surviving spouses, children, and parents of service members who died in the line of duty or from a service-related injury or illness.
- Special Monthly Compensation (SMC): This is an additional tax-free benefit that can be paid to veterans, their spouses, surviving spouses, and parents for special circumstances such as the need for aid and attendance by another person or a specific disability, such as loss of use of one hand or leg.
- Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU): If your service-connected disability prevents you from being able to work, we can help you get TDIU, which pays the same amount as a 100% disability rating.
Disability Ratings and Compensation
A disability rating is a percentage assigned by the VA that represents the severity of your service-connected condition. This rating determines the amount of monthly compensation you will receive.
When a veteran has multiple medical conditions, their ratings are combined by the VA using a specific formula to determine your overall disability rating.
Monthly compensation also depends on the eligible dependents the veteran has (spouse, children or parents). You can calculate your combined rating and monthly compensation by using this VA Disability Calculator.
Here’s how much a single Ohio veteran with no children or dependent parents currently earns per month, for each rating percentage:
- 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
State Benefits for Ohio Veterans
In addition to federal benefits, Ohio offers its own state benefits to disabled veterans, from tax exemptions and financial assistance to educational benefits, veteran hiring preference, and more.
Work with us to get your benefits
When Should You Hire a VA Disability Lawyer?
While you can navigate the VA system on your own or with the help of a VSO, an experienced VA disability lawyer can be a valuable asset, especially when it comes to appeals. The VA is constantly making changes to its procedures and regulations, and a lawyer can help you stay current on these changes and ensure your appeal is as strong as possible.
At Hill & Ponton, VA appeals are our sole focus. Our lawyers are dedicated exclusively to disability law, with one goal: winning your case and securing your rightful benefits.
Hill & Ponton has a 96% success rate for the VA disability appeals we handle. We are proud of our track record and are committed to fighting for every veteran we represent. You can read more about our successes in our veterans’ stories and testimonials.
How Our VA Lawyers Can Win Your Appeal
Ohio veterans are often denied their rightful compensation and benefits, for reasons such as:
- Lack of Service Connection: The VA may deny your claim if they don’t believe your condition is related to your military service. We help establish that crucial link with expert medical opinions and compelling evidence.
- Incomplete Documentation: Your current records might not clearly prove your case. We work tirelessly to gather the specific evidence needed to win the claim.
- Procedural Errors: The VA itself can make errors in processing your claim. We can identify these errors and use them to your advantage in an appeal.
- Insufficient Ratings: You might have received a low disability rating that prevents you from accessing certain benefits available to higher percentages. We fight for the highest possible rating that accurately reflects the true impact of your service-connected disability on your life.
Our attorneys are intimately familiar with the intricacies of VA disability law. We know what evidence the VA needs to see and how to present your case effectively. Call us to get a free evaluation for your appeal.
free case evaluation
Getting VA Disability for Toxic Exposure
Ohio veterans may have been exposed to toxic substances during their military service, whether overseas or at installations within the state itself. Several military sites in Ohio have documented environmental contamination that may impact veterans’ health and eligibility for VA disability benefits:
- Air Force Plant 85 (Columbus): Listed as a Superfund site due to hazardous waste contamination.
- Feed Materials Production Center (USDOE) (Fernald): Formerly a uranium processing plant, it is a Superfund site heavily contaminated with radioactive materials (uranium, radium, thorium) and other hazardous wastes from nuclear weapons production.
- Mound Plant (USDOE) (Miamisburg): A former atomic energy facility, it is a Superfund site with contamination from radioactive materials and other hazardous wastes associated with its historical operations.
- Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base (Lockbourne/Columbus): Known for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination, likely from the historical use of Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) in firefighting activities. PFAS levels reported as high as 60,200 parts per trillion.
- Toledo Express Airport: Identified with PFAS contamination, likely from firefighting foams, with reported PFAS levels as high as 47,690 parts per trillion.
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Dayton): A major site of PFAS contamination in groundwater and drinking water due to the use of AFFF. Listed as a Superfund site, indicating broader hazardous waste issues.
- Mansfield Lahm Air National Guard Base (Mansfield): PFAS has been detected in the groundwater, surface water, and soil at the Air National Guard base, which is located on city-owned property at the Mansfield-Lahm Regional Airport.
- Camp Ravenna: As the Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant, the base was heavily contaminated with a wide variety of hazardous materials.
- Youngstown Air Reserve Station (Vienna): PFAS has been detected in both groundwater and drinking water at and around the base.
- Luckey Site (Luckey): Formerly utilized for processing radioactive and other hazardous materials; contaminated with beryllium, lead, radium-226, thorium-230, and uranium-234/238, necessitating extensive cleanup efforts.
If you have health issues related to your service at these sites or any other military facilities, in Ohio or elsewhere, our VA attorneys may be able to help you prove the connection and win compensation for toxic exposure while in service.
VA Legal Resources and Lawyers Near You
VA Regional Office: A.J. Celebrezze Federal Building, 1240 East 9th Street, Cleveland, OH 44199. Phone: 800-827-1000
Ohio State Facilities Offering Assistance to Disabled Veterans
Ohio Vet Centers
Columbus Vet Center: 855 Bethel Road, Columbus, OH 43214; Phone: 614-257-5550
Delaware County Vet Center: Delaware County Veterans Service – Historic Courthouse, 91 North Sandusky Street, Ground Floor, Delaware, OH 43015; Phone: 614-257-5550
Marion Vet Center: American Legion Post #584, 142 Olney Avenue, Marion, OH 43302; Phone: 614-257-5550
Newark Vet Center: Licking County Veterans Service Commission, 935 Buckeye Avenue, Newark, OH 43055; Phone: 614-257-5550
Pickaway County Vet Center: Pickaway County Veterans Services, 141 W. Main Street, Suite 300, Circleville, OH 43113; Phone: 614-257-5550
Cleveland Vet Center: 24197 Broadway Avenue, Oakwood Village, OH 44146; Phone: 216-707-7901
Akron Vet Center: Summit County Veteran Service Commission, 1060 E. Waterloo Road, Akron, OH 44306; Phone: 216-707-7901
Chardon Vet Center: Veteran Service Commission in Geauga County Office Building, 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Suite 260, Chardon, OH 44024; Phone: 216-707-7901
Painesville Vet Center: Lake County Veteran Service Commission, 105 Main Street, Painesville, OH 44077; Phone: 216-707-7901
Parma Vet Center: 6325 York Road, Parma Heights, OH 44130; Phone: 440-845-5023
Stark County Vet Center: 4220 Cleveland Ave NW, Canton, OH 44718; Phone: 330-454-3120
Medical Centers
Chillicothe VA Medical Center: 17273 State Route 104, Chillicothe, OH 45601; Phone: 740-773-1141
Cincinnati VA Medical Center: 3200 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45220; Phone: 513-861-3100
Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center (main campus): 10701 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44106; Phone: 216-791-3800
Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center (Columbus VA): 420 N James Road, Columbus, OH 43219; Phone: 614-257-5200
Dayton VA Medical Center: 4100 W. 3rd Street, Dayton, OH 45428; Phone: 937-268-6511
VA Outpatient Clinics: Ohio also has numerous outpatient clinics across the state, including in Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Mansfield, Toledo, Warren, and Youngstown.
Housing Assistance
The VA medical centers across Ohio have dedicated homeless services care coordinators, connecting veterans with immediate food and shelter (transitional and permanent housing), job training, life skills, justice system navigation, financial support, and treatment for addiction and mental health.
The VA and HUD offer a variety of programs to assist homeless veterans and those at risk of homelessness, often in collaboration with local Ohio organizations.
Support for Housing Insecure Ohio Veterans
The number of homeless veterans in Ohio has been decreasing in recent years (589 were counted in January 2024, a 19% decrease since 2020), largely due to adequate federal funding, a robust “housing first” approach, and effective multi-agency collaboration. But many disabled veterans may still be at risk long-term, due to unemployment and poverty.
At Hill & Ponton, we specialize in assisting veterans in insecure housing situations or unable to keep a job because of their disabilities.
If you’ve been underrated or denied VA benefits, contact us to get a free evaluation of your VA disability appeal. Our Ohio veterans disability lawyers don’t charge anything upfront and only get paid if you get paid.