Common Roadblocks
For years, veterans have endured frustrating delays after submitting applications for disability compensation to Veterans’ Benefits Administration offices. The problems include lengthy waits for decisions, large backlogs of pending claims, high error rates in claims processing and an increasing number of appeals.
The number of claims has soared in recent years, in part because of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. That affects your ability to get a prompt decision on your claim. The VA received about 719,000 claims in 2008—about 71 percent more than it received in 2000, according to a 2010 report by the Government Accountability Office. The number of claims awaiting a decision longer than six months increased about 50 percent from 2000 to 2008.
The lawyers at Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, have helped many of our nation’s veterans navigate the complicated veterans’ benefits system. Our goal is to help them cut through the red tape and obtain disability benefits. We concentrate in working with veterans and their families because we respect the service that veterans have given our country. We believe veterans with disabilities deserve all the benefits offered by a grateful nation.
Call us toll-free at 1.877.Veteran (877.838.3726) or use our online contact form for help with your claim. As part of our personalized service, we do not charge veterans unless we are successful in obtaining disability benefits for our clients.
The veterans’ disability compensation program pays monthly benefits to veterans who have injuries or diseases incurred or aggravated while on active military duty. Veterans may submit applications for claims to any of the 57 regional Veterans’ Benefits Administration offices. Each state has at least one. In 2008, the VA paid nearly $31 billion in benefits to nearly 3 million veterans.
But the Veterans’ Benefits Administration offices have experienced problems processing compensation claims, and the system has been a subject of concern because of the long waits that veterans had to endure. Many of the problems arise from the complexity of the process, which is getting more bureaucratic as the number of service-related disabilities per veteran increases.
Frankly, parts of the system are obsolete. The ratings system used to rank veterans’ disabilities was designed in 1945 and is outdated, a panel of medical experts concluded in 2007. The system hasn’t kept pace with advances in modern medicine and ignores the impact of disabilities on veterans’ quality of life. It doesn’t take into account advances in therapies or prosthetics, often resulting in awards that are too low.
Veterans are making an increasing number of disability claims for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, these claims can be difficult to because of the evidence required to link the disorder to a particular event. The evidence can be hard to gather, and the detailed paperwork can be confusing.
With more claims, the number of appeals has surged as well. The average processing time for appeals was 25 months—more than two years, according to the GAO report. That’s a long time if you’re a veteran waiting for benefits.
If you are having problems securing benefits, a veterans’ benefits lawyer at Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, can offer guidance and help. Our legal team advocates for veterans at every step in the application and appeals process and is experienced at avoiding roadblocks that delay the process.
If you think you may be eligible for disability benefits on the basis of your service-related disability or if you believe your disability was incorrectly scored, contact Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, today for a free consultation. We can offer guidance regarding your eligibility. And as a reminder, we do not charge veterans unless we are successful in obtaining disability benefits for our clients.
To schedule a consultation, call the disability benefits lawyers at Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, toll-free at 1.877.Veteran (877.838.3726) or use our online contact form.
