Expert: Howard Lorenz - 3/13/2008

Question
QUESTION: My daughter joined the army last year. At boot camp she fell out of her bunk and broke her hand in multiple areas. They took her to an ortho doctor who wanted to cast it and send her home to heal the bring her back. My daughter proved to him that she could still PT and they kept her. She graduated from Basic nd AIT. Now she is stationed in Germany and having problems with her hand. They x-rayed it, brike it again and set it. Now, it has again healed wrong and will be having surgery with a 50% of full use. Thy are talkng medical discharge. On top of this they have just diagnoed her with cervical cancer that has over 1 year of growth and have to send her to a German doctor for care because of the progression. She has only served a year. If medically dishcharged, does she get a severance and then a percnetage(how much) being that it is her right hand. Also, does she get all her school benefits still. Does she have to fight all of this or is it all automatic? Thanks in advance.

ANSWER: What the ARMY will do is they will give her a medical disability, the percentage will be determined by a medical evaluations board. She will be entitled to medical coverage thru the VA hospital. Being a Disabled vet, she is entitled to education benifits .

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks hun...do weneed to be on our toes as far as them not giving her all that she deserves.....she is so far away and I feel so helpless to help her

Answer
What she needs to do is make sure that everything is in her medical records... She also needs to make sure that BEOFRE she leaves active duty ....she needs to copy her entire medical records for her records. After she leave AD the records will be transfered to the VA and they will be harder to get ahold of. Having the copy before she leaves will give her leverage in any future issues that may arrise...

HW