Class Action Mental Health Lawsuits and the VA Veterans and their family members who were treated by the military or the VA HealthCare system for mental health conditions need to be aware of several class action lawsuits currently active against several psychotropic medications. The medications include Abilify, Depakote (during pregnancy), Lamictal, Lexapro (during pregnancy), Paxil, […]
The Reality of Sexual Assault in the US Military On April 27, 2018, the Department of Defense released its 2017 Fiscal Year Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military. Let me preface with a startling statistic….being someone who formally worked in the sexual assault prevention field; the cost of the DoD 2017 report was $3,345,000…..just […]
Secondary Veteran Claims Related to Amputation When Congress first appropriated funding for prosthetics back during the Civil War, the United States has been trying to find a way to help service members who have lost limbs due to the military service. The VA first became involved in the 1920s and have been attempting to assist […]
Why Your MST Case May Have Been Denied Incorrectly The VA has a duty to assist in claims and when it comes to a case of military sexual trauma (MST), there are different rules to carry out that duty to assist. The VA is mandated to review records with a more liberal hand to corroborate […]
“Blue Water” veterans, approximately 90,000 who served on Navy ships in the territorial waters off the coast of Vietnam are still waiting for legislation to be passed that will allow them the presumptive classifications of those who served on the ground for Agent Orange exposures. The reasoning is that those on Navy ships were fitted with […]
In the 1960s, the US started using herbicides with the chemical TCDD, tetrachlorodibenxo-p-dioxin, or more commonly know as Agent Orange, to kill vegetation in areas allowing troops to flush out the enemy as well as to provide less exposure to insects, dangerous wildlife, and unknown diseases. These defoliated areas also allowed troops to build camps […]
Anthrax is a bacterial disease that has been around for a long time, as far back as ancient Egypt. In fact, it was thought to have caused the fifth plague during the time of Moses, killing horses, cattle, sheep, and oxen. Scholars even think that Homer described anthrax in his telling of the Iliad around […]
Every veteran who is not rated as permanent and totally disabled is subject to C&P re-examinations in the future. Many are prescheduled, but some can be triggered by changes in symptoms noted in medical records. However, the VA has specific protocols in place to determine if those exams are needed. Unless already scheduled as a […]
There are very certain circumstances that the VA will consider expediting a claim, and they are often confusing as each regional office can sometimes offer expedition for a claim that may fall outside of the parameters based on special circumstances. However, the basic rules for expediting a claim are laid out in the VA regulations […]
In the summer of 2017, President Trump signed into law the Appeals Modernization Act establishing a new process for the VA in the way they handle benefit processing. The Act is designed to improve timeliness, provide more transparency, and be fairer in an effort to improve benefits for veterans. The Act is expected to go […]
Video Blog – Buddy Statements for Service ConnectionJuly 27, 2018 - 4:15 pm
Video Blog – How to Make Buddy StatementsJuly 13, 2018 - 4:07 pm
VA Changes Appeals System; Is YOUR Claim Ready?June 19, 2018 - 2:35 pm
VA Disability Benefits – Back to BasicsApril 19, 2018 - 4:57 pm
How Can I Get VA Disability Benefits If My Discharge Is Not Honorable?April 5, 2018 - 12:31 pm