On the cliffs of Okinawa in 1945, Army medic Desmond Doss lowered 75 wounded soldiers to safety using nothing but rope and raw determination. As the first conscientious objector to earn the Medal of Honor, Doss proved that courage comes in many forms. Grenade fragments tore through his legs. A sniper's bullet later shattered his arm as he was carried to safety. He was wounded four times in Okinawa in total, and the Medal of Honor citation notes he still crawled 300 yards to the aid station with his arm bound to a rifle stock as a splint.

The physical toll didn't end when the shooting stopped. In 1946, Doss was diagnosed with tuberculosis he'd contracted overseas, and he spent the next five and a half years in treatment, ultimately losing a lung and five ribs before his discharge with 90 percent disability. Decades later, an overdose of antibiotics left him completely deaf, raising his rating to 100 percent disability. He eventually regained his hearing through a cochlear implant, but by then, one service-connected injury had led to another, then another, each one reshaping his daily life in ways the battlefield never could have predicted.

Today's veterans face a quieter version of that same cliff, fighting not just their original service-connected conditions but all the secondary battles those injuries created.

Read Desmond Doss's full story at the Congressional Medal of Honor Society below.

Select any condition below, and we'll send a detailed information packet to your email, covering your diagnosis and how it may affect your VA claim.

Your primary condition started a chain reaction

Most veterans with a 70% rating or higher have at least one unfiled secondary condition sitting in their medical records. That's not an accident. Primary service-connected disabilities rarely travel alone; they create cascading health problems that can take years to surface.

Take PTSD. One diagnosis, several chains:

Three secondary conditions from one primary diagnosis.

VA math works against you unless you file everything

The VA uses combined ratings, not simple addition. A 50% primary condition plus a 30% secondary doesn't equal 80%. It equals 65%. Every additional secondary condition matters because of how the math compounds. Learn how secondary conditions work and see exactly how much each additional rating affects your total compensation.

Common chains you might be missing

Hypertension:

Sleep apnea:

Each represents a separate rateable condition when properly documented and connected.

Calculate what you're leaving behind

Learn More

If you’re facing challenges with your claim and need assistance, reach out for a free case evaluation.

🗺️ TACTICS

In this video, attorney Rachel Cheek breaks down two lesser-known paths to a higher VA rating: secondary service connection and aggravation. She walks through real examples, from PTSD leading to sleep apnea, to a deviated septum triggering chronic sinusitis, to a veteran's pre-existing scoliosis becoming a service-connected back condition after an in-service injury made it worse.

If you have a condition that developed or worsened after you joined, this explains exactly what kind of medical evidence you need to get it connected.

Were you prescribed Dupixent (dupilumab) and later diagnosed with Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL)?

Recent studies have linked long-term Dupixent use to an increased risk of CTCL, a rare skin cancer. If you took Dupixent for at least one month and were diagnosed with CTCL—or a subtype like Mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome—after your first dose, you may be eligible to file a claim.

Find out if you qualify. The case review is free and confidential.

Act now. Contact us today at (855) 494-1298 to learn more about your options or to begin your claim. You’ve served your country; let us serve you.