Medication Side Effects May Qualify You for Increased VA Compensation

2 Views • 08/26/25

Side Effects

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We are lucky to live in a time with modern medications to treat, control, and even cure diseases or injuries. But risks come with pharmaceuticals in the form of side effects. Side effects vary from medication to medication and person to person. They can be mild like a headache or extreme like a stroke. Some side effects show up immediately and others may not manifest themselves for months or even years.

If you are a veteran who is experiencing adverse symptoms caused by medications taken to address a service-connected injury or illness, you may be eligible for additional VA disability compensation for a secondary service-connected condition. All too often, veterans applying for disability benefits overlook secondary disabilities and miss out on much-needed benefits they are entitled to.

A secondary service-connected condition is when an established medical condition that was either caused or aggravated by an incident or event during a person’s time in the military leads to a new and separate condition.

To be granted secondary-service connected benefits, you must clearly establish a link between your primary service-connected condition and your secondary condition to be granted additional disability benefits. This link is known as the nexus. Your private doctor or VA doctor will need to provide the VA with a nexus letter which is a medical opinion linking your secondary condition to your already service-connected disability. Any medical records that support a connection between those conditions are also worth submitting to the VA. The nexus between your primary condition and secondary condition must be clearly established in order to be granted service-connection on a secondary basis.

Service-connected disabilities number in the thousands and many of them are treated with both prescription and over-the-counter medications. Here are a few examples of medications that lead to secondary VA claims for adverse side effects. Antibiotics can cause kidney damage. The many different medications prescribed to treat PTSD can cause side effects that can be just as incapacitating as PTSD itself. Anxiety and cardiovascular issues are just two of the many secondary conditions that can be caused by these meds. If you developed high blood pressure during your time in service, you may have been prescribed blood pressure medication which can cause side effects like headaches or digestive issues.

The VA rates secondary disabilities the same way it rates primary disabilities using the VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities. The rating for your secondary disability will be determined by the VA based on the medical evidence you provide and, in some cases, by the results of a Compensation and Pension Exam and then combined with the rating for your primary disability.

If you are suffering from side effects from medications you are currently taking or have taken in the past to treat a primary service-connected disability, you may be eligible for a higher rating and additional VA disability compensation. To schedule a free, no-strings-attached evaluation of your case call or email us at Cuddigan Law.

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