Supreme Court considers combat disability pay case

Supreme Court justices question potential financial impact of ruling on combat disability pay case

Both conservative and liberal justices on the U.S. Supreme Court questioned the financial implications of ruling in favor of plaintiffs in a case that would expand retroactive disability payments to retired service members who receive combat-related disability compensation. The case, Soto v. United States, represents an estimated 9,000 medically retired service members. They say the Defense Department misinterpreted the law and prevented them from receiving the maximum amount of retroactive disability compensation for combat-related injuries.

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House chairman asks Attorney General to investigate former VA leaders

House lawmakers are asking Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether former VA leaders violated federal laws with their budgetary mistakes last year, potentially shifting the ongoing dispute into the courts. The conflict dates back to last summer, when former VA Secretary Denis McDonough and other department leaders told lawmakers that funding for benefits and medical care could run out in October. After being approved for emergency funding to keep programs running, VA officials acknowledged their budget estimates were flawed, and that more than $5 billion in funding was available.

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For some Americans, the end of the Vietnam War 50 years ago is still deeply felt

U.S. Marines with Company G, 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, direct a concentration of fire at the enemy during Operation Allen Brook

The Vietnam War greatly impacted U.S. society from the passage of the War Powers Resolution that restricts the president’s ability to send troops into extended combat without congressional approval to the cementing of college campuses as centers of student activism. Millions of U.S. troops fought in Vietnam. For some Americans, the war that effectively ended with the fall of Saigon 50 years ago Wednesday on April 30, 1975, continues to shape their lives.

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The connection between Agent Orange and lung cancer

Plane spraying Agent Orange over foliage.

Agent Orange was a chemical herbicide widely used by the military during the Vietnam War to remove leaves from trees and plants in many locations, including military bases, beginning in the ‘60s. If you were exposed to Agent Orange during your military service and developed lung cancer, you’re likely eligible for VA disability benefits. Lung cancer is one of the health conditions on the VA’s presumptive list for Agent Orange exposure.

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Chemo port lawsuit

If you or someone you know had a chemo port installed for cancer treatment and the port migrated, fractured, or leaked in the body 90 days or more after it was implanted, you may be eligible to join the lawsuit against Bard.