As you know from your time serving in any of the military branches, intense training, heavy gear, and other strenuous activities puts all parts of your body under severe strain. As a result, chronic knee problems that lead to ongoing pain, lost mobility, and replacement surgery are common among Veterans. Sometimes service-related damage to this joint is not apparent right away, but worsens over time. If you have chronic knee pain or need a knee replacement due to a service-related injury, you may qualify for VA disability benefits. VA Diagnostic Codes for Knee Problems and Replacements The VA ..read more

One of the myths surrounding Alzheimer’s disease is that it’s a disease only associated with old age, but that is wrong. About 5% to 6% of people with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia develop symptoms before age 65. When a person develops dementia before then, this is known as early-onset dementia or young-onset dementia. The Center for Disease Control reports that about 5.8 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, so that means somewhere between 300,000 and 360,000 of them are under 65 and have the young-onset form of this group o ..read more

To be eligible for benefits from the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program you first must first prove to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that you have a disabling impairment that prevents you from working at any job. Then you must show that you have enough work credits to qualify. In basic terms, work credits are calculated on how long you have worked in recent years and how much money you have earned. Like many things associated with Social Security disability, sorting out how exactly how many work credits you have and how many you need to qualify for SSDI benefits gets ..read more

If you are a Veteran who has applied for disability benefits you know that the process is long and involves stacks of paperwork. One of the many letters the VA may have sent you is a Summary of Benefits Letter—also known as a VA Award Letter. This is a critically important letter which spells out: Your disability rating, Your monthly payment amount, The dates related to your claim, Considerations that led to the rating decision, and Steps you can take upon receiving the final verdict. (Click here for more information on “Understanding Your Award Letter”.) You will want to hold onto this lett ..read more

After nearly 50 years in the legal profession Timothy Cuddigan has announced his retirement effective January 2024. In 1994, he began focusing exclusively on Social Security and VA Disability Law. He has personally helped thousands of disabled people qualify for the disability benefits they earned. He has built Cuddigan Law into a successful law firm employing the very best attorneys and staff, which will continue to deliver excellent results for the firm’s clients. His retirement caps a distinguished legal career where he has become recognized locally and nationally for his knowledge of Socia ..read more

Whether it comes on suddenly or develops slowly, back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the U.S. It is estimated that nearly 65 million Americans report a recent episode of back pain. Some 16 million adults — 8 percent of all adults — experience persistent or chronic back pain. Not surprisingly back pain is one of the top causes for people to miss work or seek medical help. The good news is that home treatment and self-care can reduce or even prevent back pain. But you should see a doctor for back pain, the Mayo Clinic advises, “[when] it: Lasts longer than a few we ..read more

After a review of ten years of data, the federal government’s watchdog agency—the Government Accounting Office (GAO)—reported that disability approval rates were 11% to 20% lower for reservists and members of the National Guard. The most recent 2022 census revealed that more than 700,000 men and women were serving in the reserves or National Guard. As a result of their unique part-time service, only those who fall ill or are injured while serving on federal orders for periods of at least 30 days, or during annual active-duty training (ADT), or during prescribed (typically monthly) inactive-dut ..read more

The clock is running down on 2023 and 2024 is almost upon us. Take this fun quiz to see how much you know about the history, traditions, and celebrations that surround the beginning of a new year? (And save this quiz for your New Year’s Eve celebration.) 1. What was the most popular New Year's resolution in 2023? A. Eat healthier           B. Exercise more        C. Quit smoking   2. When did the New Year's Eve Ball first drop in Times Square? A. 1907 B. 1937 C. 1958   3. The Dutch believe eatin ..read more

From the kitchen of Janet Cuddigan This could well be the perfect appetizer for your New Year’s Eve party or as a snack as you settle onto the couch with the family for movie night.  Plus, you can make it ahead of time, keep it chilled and ready in the fridge and warm it up just before everyone digs in. Ingredients: ¼ cup butter 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, partially thawed 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 2 (16 ounce) containers sour cream 1 cup g ..read more

On the surface, VA disability benefits are simple enough: If you are a Veteran with a disabling injury or illness caused or made worse by your time in service, you may be eligible for VA compensation. But like many VA provisions, it quickly becomes more complicated. A common complication involves VA disability back pay. Due to its backlog of disability compensation cases, it may take months or even years for the VA to decide your case which means you will be owed back pay. Back pay is paid as a lump sum, tax-free payment. How much back pay you are entitled to depends on several factors. The st ..read more