“Did you come home from the Gulf War with an inexplicable illness?
“My name is Zack Evans. I’m a VA disability benefits attorney with Woods & Woods, a nationwide VA disability benefits firm.”
Veterans and Gulf War Syndrome
“It’s estimated that about 35% of Gulf War veterans suffer from Gulf War Syndrome, a chronic, debilitating array of interrelated issues, characterized by diffuse physical pain, fatigue, mental fog, gastrointestinal disturbance, and skin rashes.
“While there’s mounting evidence that points to chemical exposures and nerve agent inoculants, the ultimate cause is not well understood. The mysterious nature of Gulf War Syndrome, and difficulty in pinpointing the source, has left many veterans feeling neglected and forgotten by their own government, especially as the war drums have beaten onward into Afghanistan, back to Iraq, Africa, and Syria.
“Gulf War veterans have watched news cycle pivot to more recent conflicts, especially as today’s currently serving combat troops were not born during the September 11, 2001 attacks, and especially the Persian Gulf War. For nearly 30 years, veterans have seen little movement from their government in advancing the way that we treat or understand Gulf War Syndrome.”
How the VA handles Gulf War Syndrome
“A common tactic employed by the VA in Gulf War Syndrome cases is to take a veteran’s file, review multiple doctors’ differing opinions, from primary care providers to specialists, and attempt a concrete diagnosis after a single consultation. If the VA can pigeonhole your condition into a specific diagnosis, then by definition, it is not an undiagnosed or medically unexplained condition.
“The key to these types of cases is to argue onset and to develop evidence that supports your timeline of your illness. The VA can play games with the way they label your illness. But if your symptom onset occurred while you were in service, you are owed service connection.”
C&P exams for Gulf War Syndrome
“During your C&P exam, the VA examiner will likely do an exhausting accounting of your family’s medical history. It will seem disproportionately focused on your non-service-connected conditions. This is intentional. There are very few open-ended, “So when did this all come about?” kinds of questions that you’ll hear in these exams. You shouldn’t be surprised by this. The VA is looking for an out.
“Chronic fatigue? It must be a sleep hygiene issue, associated with anxiety related to finances, separate from combat-related PTSD. Another example — intermittent painful rash? The veteran likely has some type of contact dermatitis and should change his fabric softener. It sounds ridiculous, but you’d be surprised by the kinds of things that turn up in these exams.
“Make sure you are given the chance to tell your story and to convey your timeline of onset for your illness. There’s nothing more important than these exams. The VA examiner is going to do everything that they can to dictate the pace of the exam and to control the conversation. You must make sure your voice is heard. The examiner may try to interrupt or redirect you, but this is your exam. This is about your conditions and the story behind them.
“The best way to combat the VA’s attempts to give you a concrete diagnosis for a medically unexplained chronic condition, is to focus on the facts that you do know. When did this begin? How has it worsened? What is your condition like now? How has it impacted work? Stick to your guns and tell your truth, the facts which you know are indisputable.
“Remember, everything you say will end up on the record in your appeals. Make sure you discuss your onset truthfully and completely. Don’t leave anything out. That way, if a VA examiner wants to stand on the migraine diagnosis and say that it’s unrelated to Gulf War Syndrome, that’s fine. Since you’ve told your story and you’ve gotten your timeline on the record, in that same exam, the VA examiner is going to have to explain why your onset of these symptoms and conditions started while you were on active duty in Saudi Arabia.”
“Everyone was extremely professional and seemed to be very concerned with my case. They always keep me informed about my case and the process. I would recommend in a minute.”
M.S., an Army vet in Oklahoma
From a Google review for Woods & Woods
How Woods & Woods can help
“Why am I telling you this? Because if the VA is going to pick a horse in your Gulf War exam, we can make them ride it and win anyway. I’m Zack Evans with Woods & Woods attorneys. Give us a call.”
Talk to Us About Your Claim:
(812) 426-7200
Zack Evans
VA disability attorney
Woods & Woods
Zack is a former prosecuting attorney. He received his law degree from Southern Illinois University. He joined Woods & Woods in 2017.
