Burn Pits Claims Assistance Program
On August 10, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022, a comprehensive bill which addresses a wide range of issues relevant to veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service. The PACT Act addresses health care, presumptions of service connection, research, resources, and other matters related to these exposures. Here is a summary of some of the key provisions, including a list of the 24 medical conditions that are presumptively service connected to exposure to toxins such as fumes from burn pits.
How We Can Help You At No Cost
The National Veterans Legal Services Program's (NVLSP) Burn Pits Claims Assistance Program (Burn Pits CAP) is dedicated to helping veterans and their survivors on burn-pit related claims for VA disability or death benefits. We provide help at no cost to you -- either through an NVLSP self-help guide detailing how you should file a burn-pits related claim or by examining your case to see whether we can represent you before the VA on your VA claim. The table below describes how we may be able to help. If after reviewing this table, you feel that you may benefit from representation through NVLSP's Burn Pits CAP, please proceed to the link for our intake form below.
Pick the Box Below that Best Describes Your Situation |
The Help We Provide |
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You are a veteran and have not yet filed an initial disability claim for the medical condition you believe is connected to exposure to burn pits
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Follow the instructions in this link to NVLSP’s self-help guide for how to file an initial claim. Note: if the claim you file is ultimately denied, we may be able to represent you (see boxes 3 and 4 below). |
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You are a veteran whose claim was denied before August 10, 2022, and that claim was for a medical condition that is now presumptively service-connected under the PACT Act |
Follow the instructions in this link to NVLSP’s self-help guide for how to file a claim that has been previously denied. Note: if the claim you file is ultimately denied, we may be able to represent you (see boxes 3 and 4 below). |
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You are a veteran or surviving spouse and you were previously denied service connection for a burn-pit-related condition that is NOT presumptively service-connected under the PACT Act |
We may be able to represent you before the VA on a new claim to obtain service connection for the previously denied medical condition. Please click the link below to submit our intake form. We will then send you NVLSP’s application form to allow us to evaluate whether we can represent you. |
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You are a veteran or surviving spouse whose claim for a medical condition that is presumptively service connected under the PACT Act was denied after August 10, 2022. |
We may be able to represent you before the VA on a new claim to obtain service connection for the previously denied medical condition. Please click the link below to submit our intake form. We will then send you NVLSP’s application form to allow us to evaluate whether we can represent you. |
Note: A list of the 24 medical conditions that are presumptively service connected under the PACT Act appears in the link in the first paragraph above).
Burn Pits Intake Form
For those who may also be interested in learning more about the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, we have prepared a document that tackles some of the most frequently asked questions.
