Any Experience With VA Claim Pros?

[hooksetter5]

Just trying to get some traction here. Can not get a reply from a VSO to even ask a question.

[1stindoor]

When I get back to work on Monday I'll PM you a few numbers.

[hooksetter5]

UPDATE: Well, I finally found my local VSO. It was like finding a sister. She accepted me into her office and started on an appeal and then we discussed some supplemental situations ...
I have a very good feeling about the dedication and knowledge of this particular VSO from Illinois Veterans ... thanks to those who steered me in the right direction.

[1stindoor]

Sweet! Keep us updated.

[Big dreams]

I started my claim two years ago. I am 87,000 in line for a VA judge. The VA is absolutely ridiculous to deal with. They denied all of my claims two times. I went to my family doctor, ENT, and psychiatrist... all three gave me written documentation stating what I was claiming was due to my experiences in the military. The VA process has been extremely long for me and I've wanted to give up many times. I can see why these agencies collect 5x. It is worth it in some cases like mine. The way things are going, I will be lucky to get through the process in three years.

Replying to my own post just because this process sucks ass. May 11th, I was 87,000 in line. Today, I am 92,036 in line. How does this work again?

To top it off, I just called my VSO that I've been working with for over three years and I found out he left the organization three weeks ago. Now what?

[1stindoor]

I'm sorry to hear you're having such a hard time getting your case looked at. The short answer...you won't like, but here goes. Despite being "87,000th in line," that "line" moves with new cases coming in. Think of it like going to the ER...you may be next, until the guy walks in the door with a sucking chest wound...now you're after him. You're being pushed further back for other claims. Even if you had a private company working your case, they can't speed the process up once it gets to the VA.

[Big dreams]

I get that more serious cases come first. This has been going on for over three years though. At what point do they ever catch up? When I first started this process, I was at around 60k. I've been as high as 120k. The numbers just don't make much sense to me on how much they fluctuate. I may be in the queue until I myself am 75 at this rate.

[1stindoor]

I wish I knew. We have two VA employees that work with our organization and they're equally frustrated by wait times. New Servicemembers transitioning off of AD take priority once they hit the system. If you wanted to PM me your personal information, i.e. full name and SSN, I can reach out to them and see if there may be any other issue that's slowing your decision.

[Mike Carroll]

look up combat Craig on YouTube , educate yourself on the claims process, do your homework, build your case, with evidence and documentation, I went from 10% at the beginning to 80% now 100%p&t, with no help from vso or a lawyer, or one of the company's your referring to. it takes time and patience , get to the doc, or VA document everything , secondary conditions most importantly. remember everything in your body is connected somehow. There are some good VSOs out there, but there are some bad ones also. educate yourself. very important.

[Pktim23]

I have used them, they ae like any other VET lawyer, For 99 percent of your issues follow others advice and use local help. They asked for buddy letters etc, all tips that were already commonly found with a simple google search. However one issue they were able to help with was a Nexus Letter. I was Aircrew in the USMC, the only time I went to medical was for my annual flight physical. IE no record of any illness. They used information from physicians I saw the year after my EAS and provided the Nexus letter. You still end up doing 80 percent of the leg work. Hope this helps !

[wmitch2]

I was forewarned about all the "Crap" that was out there supposed to be a big help, but also wanted a big chunk of your money !! A friend from in the VA told me to go to the AmVets officer and work with him/her. I did that and was awarded 10% !! NO, the "Powers" didn't credit me with the right group ! They had me as "Blue Water Navy" and I was "Brown Water Navy" (on the Rivers) so none of my other Issues were even considered. We appealed with more proof of what and where I had been (VietNam) and done and they came back with a 60% and paid the back pay too. Then the AmVet told me to come in when I retired, I did and we filled out some more paperwork and I was kicked up to 90% !! All this and NO FEES !!!! I'm doing much better now, the VA here has been great and they've helped my get thru some pretty heavy stuff !! I worked with the Seal Teams, so you can just imagine what I was thru. The VA just sent me a letter wanting more info on the Bladder Cancer I had and may be able to bump me up to 100% !!! I can't praise the AmVets enough. Go see them at your local VA Hospital.

[1stindoor]

^^Thanks wmitch2! And thank you for your service.

[Stratos92]

UPDATE: Well, I finally found my local VSO. It was like finding a sister. She accepted me into her office and started on an appeal and then we discussed some supplemental situations ...
I have a very good feeling about the dedication and knowledge of this particular VSO from Illinois Veterans ... thanks to those who steered me in the right direction.

I am glad to hear this! As a County VSO myself, this is how it is supposed to work!