When a veteran is not satisfied with the decision reached by the Regional Office (RO), he/she must file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD). The RO then offers two options for appeal, review by a Decision Review Officer (DRO) or the traditional appeal process. The RO will issue a letter outlining these two options. You have…
Why is VA so slow to process claims? VA is a huge government bureaucracy. All bureaucracies, whether government or corporate, are slow, inefficient, subject to channeled thinking. They are inherently cautious and have many interconnected parts, and actions require multiple reviews and sign-offs. Political influences on, and scrutiny of, government bureaucracies increase the natural cautiousness….
Marine veterans who were stationed, lived or worked at Camp Lejeune before 1987 may have been exposed to contaminants in the drinking water supply. The Department of Veterans Affairs is recommending all those who believe they were at Camp Lejeune before 1987 to register to receive notifications regarding Camp Lejeune Historic Drinking Water. The Department…
Filing a claim for VA benefits can be a daunting task. It often requires the veteran to fill out and submit many forms or documents to the VA. Gathering this information can be very time consuming and in some cases costly. Therefore you want to ensure that the documents you sent are received at the…
On June 6, 2011, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced a bill which specifically requires VA to have a doctor of chiropractic staff at all of its major facilities by 2014. The bill was co-sponsored by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), Sen. Thomas Harkin (D-IA), Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse…
On May 5, 2011, a bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate to provide a cost-of-living adjustment in the benefits paid to those receiving disability compensation, compensation for dependents, clothing allowances, dependency and indemnity compensation benefits, and dependency and indemnity compensation benefits for children. U.S. Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the chairperson of the Senate…
Even if a particular condition is not on VA’s “presumptive list” as a condition caused by Agent Orange exposure, a veteran can present medical evidence to show that his or her individual condition is “as likely as not” related to that exposure. A new VA study suggests a link between Agent Orange exposure and kidney…
Last month the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced the testing of a new procedure to obtain veterans’ medical records more quickly. Secretary Eric K. Shinseki stated in a news release that the VA is exploring a procedure that employs a private contractor to obtain veterans’ private medical records and transmit them to the offices…
On June 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11th as Veterans Day, which was formerly known as Armistice Day. Veterans Day was established to recognize and honor the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Although Veterans Day marks a day in which we remember…
Wrestling benefits out of VA is usually a battle of attrition. While a few claims sail efficiently through the system, this is by far the exception. Most claims are a matter of wearing VA down through slow development of the claim and repeated challenge of decisions and correction of errors. The nature of this system…
A question we often hear from our clients regards what happens to a claim that has not yet been decided or is still pending at his or her death. Fortunately, Congress recently changed the rules regarding how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) handles such claims. The rules are less clear for claims that are…
UPDATE The proposed new PTSD regulations are now in effect. VA’s fact sheet about the changes can be found at https://www.va.gov/ Keep in mind that this does not entirely remove the requirement that PTSD stressors be corroborated – only in specified circumstances, involving situations of hostile military or terrorist activity. The asserted stressor must be…
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Results afford no guarantee of future results and every case is different and must be judged on its own merits. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
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