#Middlebury #VeteransPost
The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced a major reduction in the number of disability claim appeals that had piled up. This year it managed to clear 53,000 decisions, which is 86 percent more than the 28,000 the VA cleared during the same time last year. Its goal is to review 81,000 claims by the end of September.
How did the VA manage to finish so many claims when it couldn’t manage it before? Part of the answer lies in the $42 million that was used to hire 200 lawyers to write decisions, as well as 24 law judges.
One wonders how many lawyers they originally had, before adding the 200. One also wonders, unfortunately, about the qualifications of the 200 lawyers they hired, and who reviewed their employment applications.
To avoid having your initial claim denied, get help with your first application. Start with a veterans’ service organization. Look at www.benefits.va.gov/vso/varo.asp and click on your state for a list of organizations at your local Regional Benefit Office. The list includes the organizations, their location at the benefit office and their phone number.
To avoid being denied again during an appeal, your best bet is to get a lawyer, but beware. Be sure your lawyer is up to the task. Ask other veterans for references if they’ve gone the appeal route. Then ask the potential lawyer a lot of questions, like: How long have they done veteran appeals? Are they VA accredited?
Since you’ll no doubt pay a hefty fee (a portion of your benefits after you win) to a lawyer, be sure you’re getting a good one. If you’re getting years of back pay, that could add up to a lot of money you’re handing over.
(c) 2017 King Features Synd. Inc.
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