Hello, my name is Susan Farris and my hobby is learning about the law. I have an uncle who is an attorney and I've always looked up to him and that's why I find subjects on law very interesting. Through speaking with my uncle and doing research on my own, I've learned about all the different fields of law. Each field of law centers on its own subject and most attorneys specialize in a certain area of law. These include criminal, personal injury, family, bankruptcy, criminal, immigration and business. I find each one of these fields very interesting and I have the utmost admiration for lawyers because they help people through their legal struggles. I wanted to share this information with others who have questions about the different types of attorneys and the law.
Dealing with Veterans Affairs (VA) is . . . well, a lot like dealing with military administration in general. They exist to help veterans and the organization is a great way to support yourself as you transition to a civilian lifestyle, but assistance can be slow and the quality may not be the same at every VA facility. If you've filed a VA disability claim and have been denied, or if you've been waiting months or even years for some sort of response, here's a bit of VA claim system insight and advice when it comes to working with an attorney for faster help.
Why Does The VA Take So Long?
This isn't an excuse for the VA system, but keep in mind that there are over 10 million veterans who can take part in the VA's health and education system. Combined with a slow economy, a changing healthcare system and downsizing that is only recently changing and there's a lot of people who need service. That said, not every veteran is actively seeking VA assistance.
There's a lot of things that could be blamed at the administrative level, and there's no shortage of scandals to read in the news, but keep in mind that it takes time to analyze the specifics of your claim. The VA needs to filter out fraud as much as it needs to help veterans in order to keep funds available for veterans who truly need assistance. At the moment, that may mean paperwork difficulties, but there are ways around it.
Bring An Official Complaint
At multiple times during the modern VA's handling of disability claims, the organization has expedited claims that have taken a year or longer to be answered. Don't simply go to your local VA, make a complaint and expect it to be handled there. The VA is full of many hard-working individuals, but there's no way to know if your local VA office is suffering from administrative inefficiencies or other problems that another facility may not have.
Instead, be sure to contact the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to lodge a formal complaint. This will likely get a fresh pair of eyes on your claim, but while you're waiting, it may be time to get an attorney on your side.
Delays may be caused not only to lost paperwork or backlog issues, but difficulties with your evidence. If you filed your claim on your own, you may not have the right amount of evidence showing how your injury is related to military service and that it's still causing a problem. Especially if you're appealing a denied claim, you may need a professional on your side to navigate the difficult VA claim system.
With an attorney's help, you can get better organized evidence and connect with non-VA medical professionals to get the examinations you need. It's always good to have a second opinion, and if you feel that your VA examination was rushed or missed critical information, a personal injury lawyer can help you look through your injury situation and find the information you need.
Injury law is helpful in VA disability situations because it brings a unique perspective from outside the system, and can be free of many assumptions or limited ideas caused by constant appeals and rejections. Contact a personal injury attorney and explain your situation to get the consultation you need for a better claim, or to get an attorney's voice to shake some awareness into your local VA office.
Share7 September 2016
