What does the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 imply?

During the last century, over 2.4 million veterans who served in the Vietnam War were exposed to Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide that is very dangerous to human health. As a result, numerous of these veterans came to struggle with terrible diseases such as prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, and multiple myeloma within recent years. However, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, which came into effect on January 1, 2019, extends the presumption of herbicide exposure, including Agent Orange, to veterans who served in the offshore waters of the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975. In other words, veterans who were on active duty as far as 12 nautical miles from the shore of Vietnam can now apply for disability compensation from the VA, as well as for other benefits. Furthermore, this law includes benefits for the children of veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and were born with spina bifida. It is estimated that there are between 50,000 and 90,000 Blue Water Navy veterans throughout the United States.

What changes does this law entail for the VA Home Loan Program?

In addition to making VA benefits such as disability compensation available to a wider range of veterans, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 also implies a series of changes to the VA Home Loan Program. These changes are the following:

• the home loans guaranteed by the VA will no longer be restricted to the Federal Housing Finance Agency Conforming Loan Limits, as veterans will now be able to receive a no-down-payment home loan in all areas, regardless of the loan amount
• the act excludes recipients of the Purple Heart who are currently serving on active duty from the VA Home Loan funding fee
• for Native American veterans who are trying to build or purchase a home on Federal Trust Land, the loan limit is removed
• veterans and people on active duty will notice a slight increase of 0.15% to 0.30% in their funding fee for the next 2 years, whereas members of the National Guard and Reserve will see a decrease in their fee to align with the fee paid by Regular Military borrowers, which is permanent
• veterans who struggle with disabilities as a result of active service, as well as surviving spouses, are exempt from the VA loan funding fee and will not be affected by the previous change

For additional information concerning these changes, please contact your local VA, as they will be able to better explain what they entail for your specific living situation. If you are one of the Blue Water Navy veterans who was injured by Agent Orange or another toxic herbicide while on active duty, we strongly encourage you to contact our law firm, as our attorneys specialize in toxic exposure cases and will be able to obtain disability compensation, as well as other important benefits, from the VA on your behalf. Because the process is very complex and requires solid evidence, only a law firm whose main area of practice is toxic exposure will be able to provide you with quality legal assistance in obtaining the money you deserve from the VA.

What diseases qualify Blue Water Navy veterans for disability compensation from the VA?

The diseases Blue Water Navy veterans can recover compensation for are those caused by exposure to Agent Orange since this was the only toxic agent they came in contact with during active duty throughout the Vietnam War. Therefore, this category of veterans can seek financial compensation if they struggle with the following diseases and health problems:

• multiple myeloma
• chronic B-cell leukemia
• prostate cancer
• Hodgkin's disease
• lung cancer
• soft tissue sarcomas
• non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• laryngeal cancer
• bronchial cancer
• pharyngeal cancer
• esophageal cancer
• AL amyloidosis
• peripheral neuropathy
• chloracne
• diabetes mellitus type 2
• ischemic heart disease
• Parkinson's disease
• porphyria cutanea tarda

It is important to know that if you suffer from another disease that you believe developed as a result of exposure to Agent Orange, you can still apply for disability compensation and your claim will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the VA. The assistance of a lawyer who specializes in toxic exposure is particularly essential in this case since pertinent evidence supporting the correlation between your diagnosis and exposure to Agent Orange must accompany your claim.

Quality legal assistance for Blue Water Navy veterans injured by Agent Orange

In the regrettable event that you are a Blue Water Navy veteran who came to struggle with a disease as a consequence of exposure to Agent Orange while you were serving your country, you have the right to file a claim with the VA. With over 25 years of experience in providing quality legal assistance to veterans, our attorneys will thoroughly review your case and, if you are eligible, file a VA disability compensation claim on your behalf, since the process is very complex and tedious.

This way, you may obtain the sum of money you deserve for your physical and emotional suffering. Since 1990, our law firm has helped over 20,000 veterans recover the financial compensation they were eligible for and is ready to help you as well. Regardless of your diagnosis, we strongly advise you to contact our legal team and we will strive to obtain the maximum compensation available from the VA for you. To initiate the legal process, you will only have to send in your military records, which you must retrieve, and your medical records.