Understanding The VA Claim And Appeal System
After leaving the military, many veterans deal with the difficult task of transitioning to civilian life. It's more than looking for work and transferring military skills to civilian definitions, although this is a difficult task. The high-pace, often rough lifestyles of military service-members can lead to a lot of wear and tear. Whether you're worn down from years of service, suffering from a severe condition because of a specific event or both, the Veterans Affairs (VA) claim and appeal system may be yet another hurdle between you and moving on with your life. A few traits of the VA system can help you understand denials, requests for info and other strange issues that can come from the system.
Turn The Negatives Into Progress
One thing to understand about the VA is that it can be very slow. The speed depends on your specific location and the VA administrative offices in your region, but there have been national complaints of slow performance and even scandal that can make the process more than frustrating.
Despite these issues, knowing that the VA can be difficult should be a warning to be as prepared as possible. Many veterans in the past have resolved themselves to waiting for a response from the VA, but you don't need to sit by idly.
If you haven't heard about your claim in a few months and the local VA is unable to answer your questions, speak to the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to discuss your issue. The hotline for the OIG is especially necessary if you suspect wrongdoing.
Still Being Ignored? It's Time For A Lawyer
Although unlikely, it's not impossible for your complaints to the OIG to yield no action. It could be that information was lost, or maybe your case is more complex than first thought. Even if it's true that you were the victim of a slow VA process, the final decision still rests on whether your complaint is legitimate or not.
One of the more frustrating issues is waiting for months to hear that your claim has been denied for something that you could have fixed. Maybe your injury claim didn't have an important statement from a doctor during the military days, or the evidence may not be robust enough without updated medical examination. Either way, you shouldn't leave your claim int he hands of an already slow process.
A personal injury lawyer from a firm like GSJones Law Group, P.S. can help you by instilling a bit of urgency into the situation. A lawyer is equipped with more knowledge about policies and procedures, as well as different offices that can be contacted in regards to your situation.
If it's specific pieces of information that you're missing, a personal injury lawyer can help you as well. It's not your job to understand every piece of requested information, and it's understandable that you may not have the health or mobility to handle all of the legwork. Contact a personal injury lawyer to get help with your VA claim and to get out of a backlogged claim system as soon as possible.
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