Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used during the Vietnam War to clear forested areas. Exposure to Agent Orange has resulted in a multitude of illnesses for Veterans and their children. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recently added Parkinson’s Disease and Ischemic Heart Disease to the list of “presumptive illnesses” related to Agent Orange exposure. If you have any of the illnesses listed below and are a Veteran who served in Vietnam at any time from January 9, 1962 to May 7, 1975, you may be able to claim VA disability benefits and receive health care services without having to prove that your condition is connected to Agent Orange exposure. (This policy does not apply to Veterans who served only on “Blue Water” Navy ships in Vietnam.)
With these new additions, the VA now recognizes the following illnesses as associated with exposure to Agent Orange:
- Acute and Subacute Peripheral Neuropathy
- AL Amyloidosis
- Chloracne
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and other Chronic B Cell Leukemias
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Hodgkin’s Disease
- Ischemic Heart Disease
- Multiple Myeloma
- Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
- Prostate Cancer
- Respiratory Cancers
- Soft Tissue Sarcoma
For more information on diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange and the recent policy changes at the VA, see: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/diseases.asp
If you have been turned down for Veterans Disability Benefits call Steve Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer,” at 877-228-4878. As a Maryland veteran disability attorney, Steve handles Veterans Affairs disability appeals.
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