Legal Help for Veterans blog.
Claims Processing, News and Press
by Jim Fausone Veterans Disability Lawyers You have to pass a bar exam to become a lawyer. To be a claims agent you have to pass an accreditation exam. Both are required to take continuing education to stay VA accredited. Now Congress is considering a bill that would require an annual competency test for veterans’ claims processors. Those […]
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Claims Processing, News and Press, Veterans Law
by Kristina Derro Veteran Disability Lawyer A recent order by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims put a stay on all cases in which the VA alleged that the Veteran did not appeal a denied Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision within the 120-day deadline. A recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, Henderson […]
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Claims Processing
by Jim Fausone Veteran Disability Lawyer The most frequent question we get is “How long will it take VA to make a decision?” My nephew, who just returned from Afghanistan, asked me this at a Father’s Day brunch last weekend. As of May 31, more than 800,000 disability claims are pending across the country, according […]
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Claims Processing, News and Press
by Kristina Derro Veterans Disability Lawyer This month, the VA’s Office of Inspector General released its report on the systemic issues identified at 16 VA Regional Offices (VAROs) from April 2009 to September 2010. You can view the full report here: https://www.va.gov/oig/52/reports/2011/VAOIG-11-00510-167.pdf Unfortunately, the report revealed the ineptitude that all the veterans experience and suffer […]
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Claims Processing, Mental Health, Veterans Law
by Kristina Derro Veterans Disability Lawyer The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unleashed its fury on the VA last week in a decision where the judges ruled that the “unchecked incompetence” by the VA had led to poor mental health care and slow processing of disability claims for veterans. Two nonprofit […]
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Claims Processing, Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press
by Jim Fausone Veteran Disability Lawyer We all know the IEDs and TBI are the signature problems of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Battlefield doctors in Afghanistan diagnosed more than 300 troops per month with concussions or mild traumatic brain injuries last summer. A recent study suggested an eighth of an inch of padding would decrease injuries […]
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Claims Processing, News and Press
by Jim Fausone Veteran Disability Lawyer When VA recognized additional presumptive disabilities, you could expect an increase in claims. So the VA added 3,000 claims processors last year, for a total of 14,000. Nevertheless, the number of veterans’ initial disability claims taking more than four months to complete has doubled. The number of claims that take […]
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Claims Processing, News and Press, Veterans Law
by Kristina Derro Veteran Disability Lawyer A 2008 survey performed by the military revealed that over 21% of service women are victims of Military Sexual Trauma (MST). Unfortunately, due to the private nature and the stigma attached to this type of assault, along with the embarrassment and fear of retaliation that the victims have, most […]
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Claims Processing, News and Press
by Jim Fausone Veterans Disability Lawyer Social media has made its way to the VA. Blogging is now in the VA’s communication tool box. VA has hired former bloggers who were critical for VA to come to the other side and blog for VA. The mission is to revolutionize how the VA interacts with veterans […]
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Claims Processing, News and Press
by Jim Fausone Veteran Disability Lawyer It is rare for the US Supreme Court to take up a case involving veteran issues. In a recent decision known as Henderson, Justice Samuel Alito said, “The (Department of Veterans Affairs) is charged with the responsibility of assisting veterans in developing evidence that supports their claims, and in evaluating […]
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