29 Jun 2021

Lawmakers Express Concern Over C&P Backlog

Compensation and Pension Examination, Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, VA appeals Attorney, VA Disability Attorney, VA Disability Claims
The Compensation and Pension medical exam system has always had a delay. This year, between some structural changes and the coronavirus pandemic, backlog has tripled.   Before the pandemic hit, the VA was well into the process of contracting C&P examinations to non-VA doctors. 60% of examinations were by contractors, rising to nearly 100%. During the pandemic, even that stopped.   In April 2020, the VA cancelled all C&P examinations in all parts of the country. Later that year, the VA allowed these exams to resume on a limited basis. During a recent hearing before the House Committee on Veterans’…
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29 Jun 2021

LA County Getting New Veterans’ Court

Board of Veterans' Appeals, BVA Hearings, VA appeals Attorney, VA Disability Attorney, VA Disability Claims, VA Disability Compensation, Veteran Appeal States
To better address the needs of veterans with minor run-ins with the law, the City of Glendale plans to have a designated veterans’ court up and running by October 2021. Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers is a longtime veterans’ advocate. “This is something I think everybody knows I’ve been wanting to have for quite some time with the work that I do with veterans,” he remarked. His office predicts that a designated veterans’ court will reduce recidivism and connect Veterans with available resources. The court will handle mostly municipal law violations, such as ABC (Assault By Contact, or assault without injury)…
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16 Jun 2021

How To Increase Your VA Disability Rating

TDIU, VA Benefits, VA Disability Attorney, VA Disability Claims, VA Disability Compensation, Vietnam Veterans
Generally, a combination of a medical diagnosis, the disability’s symptoms, and its effect on the Veteran’s everyday life determines the amount of benefits the disabled Veteran receives. A change in any one of these areas could significantly, and positively, affect your VA disability rating. The amount of monthly financial benefits depends primarily on the disability rating. Free VA medical care, an equally-important benefit, is typically available to all disabled Veterans, regardless of the extent of disability.   Evidence on all these points is relatively easy to obtain. But different kinds of evidence are more effective in different situations. The most important…
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08 Jun 2021

Five Surprising Facts About Veteran Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, PTSD Disability, VA Benefits, VA Disability Attorney, VA Disability Claims
PTSD is one of the most common disabilities among veterans. When they go through traumatic events, many people have symptoms like depression, nightmares, and hypervigilance. If these symptoms persist for more than a few weeks, or they get worse instead of better, the person probably has PTSD.   Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is also one of the most misunderstood disabilities. The science in this area is still developing, and myths about PTSD persist. In order to obtain maximum compensation for PTSD disabilities, a VA disability attorney must not only know all the facts. An attorney must know how to present…
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11 May 2021

Breaking Down TDIU Eligibility Requirements

VA Benefits, VA Disability Attorney, VA Disability Claims, VA Disability Compensation
Breaking Down TDIU Eligibility Requirements   All disability determinations involve a combination of medical and economic factors, this is also true for TDIU eligibility. The doctor never sits you down and tells you “You are 30% disabled.” That's because it's not just about your diagnosis. It's about how your condition affects you and what it stops you from doing. This is especially true in Total Disability due to Individual Unemployability claims. In fact, TDIU determinations are so subjective that many people might not know if they're eligible.   The way the TDIU rules are written, a VA disability lawyer might…
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07 May 2021

Most Common VA Disabilities

DAV (Disabled American Veterans), VA appeals Attorney, VA Benefits, VA Disability Attorney, VA Disability Claims, VA Disability Compensation
The Veterans Administration recently released results for the 2019 fiscal year .  Including the most common VA disabilities. In its defense, the VA’s fiscal year is different from the calendar year. And 2020 was a very busy year for all government agencies, including the VA. Other priorities, such as vaccinating as many Veterans as possible, took resources away from number-crunching endeavors.   If you have one of the conditions on this list, it means you're in the same boat as a lot of other veterans. VA sees plenty of cases like this and has gotten used to the fact that…
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05 May 2021

Lawmakers Consider Expanding Agent Orange Presumption

Agent Orange, DAV (Disabled American Veterans), VA Disability Attorney, VA Disability Claims, VA Disability Compensation, Vietnam Veterans
A bipartisan effort is underway to extend Agent Orange exposure benefits to service members who served in other parts of Southeast Asia during Operation Ranch Hand.   Pennsylvania Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) and Matt Cartwright (D) introduced a bill that would apply to Veterans who were stationed in Laos, Cambodia, or Thailand during Operation Ranch Hand. “Many of those who have been exposed are living with cancers, heart disease or Parkinson’s disease,” Rep. Cartwright remarked in a statement. “They deserve relief for the pain and hardship this has caused for them and their families.”   Over 50,000 soldiers served in…
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13 Mar 2021

If You Lose In CAVC

CAVC, Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, VA Disability Attorney, VA Disability Claims
Under The Appeals Modernization Act, What Do You Do If You Lose In CAVC? You may be asking what options there are if you lose in CAVC. In the before times, if the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims denied a Veteran’s appeal, that was essentially the end. Your attorney could file a motion for reconsideration or an appeal to the Federal Circuit, but those are rarely successful. The Appeals Modernization Act gives Veterans a better option if the CAVC denies their requests for benefits. CAVC judges are some of the most experienced VA legal professionals in the country. The…
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