Nexus and IMO Letters
When You Hit A Dead End
The Department of Veterans Affairs
White House Hotline
855 - 948 - 2311
< Denis.McDonough@va.gov >
Yes, this really works. No, it doesn't ring in the White House. The email address and phone number are staffed by a seemingly serious group of players, many who are veterans, and if you have a legit issue, telling these folks is like bringing in the artillery. Let's prepare for your call or email. Make some notes before you proceed so you don't forget anything. I prefer email since there's no waiting for someone to answer and I can take my time to prepare the story in just the right detail. Be sure to include your DOB, your last 4, contact info...a couple of numbers, your preferred email and such. Describe the problem as briefly as you can. Less is more. Include the necessary components but don't tell your life story. Don't rant. Be polite...military courtesy will get you places that hollering IN ALL CAPS won't. Respect! Don't waste their time with bogus complaints about your feelings being hurt. If you appropriately utilize this service, I'll vouch that this works like a champ. Tell them you read about this at The VAWatchdog Dot Org...they know who we are.
The VA Watchdog Dot Org
Since 2005, We're Keeping An Eye On Your VA
Because Somebody Has To!
Welcome Home! I'm Jim Strickland. I'm an Army vet, I was 91-D20 in USAREUR at the
98th General Hospital near Camp Baumholder 1967 - 1970. I publish the VAWatchdog
Dot Org to help you obtain the benefits you earned by your service to our country.
I'll also share what I'm reading today, the important stuff. An informed veteran
is a successful veteran. Feedback is always welcomed.
Veterans Law Attorney Drew Early
Graduate of the US Military Academy West Point
20 years of active Army service, multiple deployments, tours with 2 Infantry
Division, 10th Mountain Division , XVIII Airborne Corps, and Third Army,
Airborne and Master Explosive Ordnance Disposal badges.
Graduate of the Command and General Staff College Master's Degree in
Strategic Planning from the School of Advanced Military Studies
Welcome to the KnowVA Knowledge Base
Locate information more quickly and efficiently
Jim Strickland
jim912@gmail.com
Title 38 - Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief
Volume: 1
Date: 2019-07-01
Original Date: 2019-07-01
Title: PART 17 - MEDICAL
From COVID-19 Vaccine Scams
Criminals continue to capitalize
on coronavirus pandemic
Never Stop Reading
Never Stop Learning
How Can Military Veterans Maximize Their Tax Benefits?
Expert explains tax breaks for military members
Schedule for Rating Disabilities
"It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired.
You quit when the gorilla is tired." — Robert Straus
Meeting With A Family Law Attorney
Let's File A Claim
Filing your claim for VAbenefits isn't as hard as some want you to believe. Let's set the effective date of any claim you file in the next year. This one is easy so let's do it right now.
Yeah you...
Buy some cookies from
my granddaughter.
Her daddy is an
Iraq war vet.
These are great cookies.
You know you want to.
Alabama
Is the VA offering vaccines to veterans?
Who picks who can get it?
V A Claims Intake Center
PO BOX 4444
JANESVILLE, WI
53547- 4444
Toll Free Fax:
844-531-7818
7 Myths About the Coronavirus Vaccine
Don’t be fooled by bad information or irrational skepticism. Get your shots as soon as possible.
Spine Pain Independent Medical Opinion
James Shields, MD, MBA...A Board Certified Physician
Veteran Spine Pain, Weakness, Stiffness, Neck or Cervical Pain, Fibromyalgia,
Intervertebral Disk Syndrome, Decreased Range of Motion, Degenerative Arthritis
of the Spine, Hip Pain or Weakness, Shoulder Pain or Weakness
Greg served in the Air Force as a C-17 loadmaster in both Operations Enduring
Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Greg's practice includes VA disability compensation
appeals, Individual Unemployability (TDIU) claims, MST, PTSD and other mental health disability claims and appeals and other veterans disability claims processes. Attorney
Rada offers free telephone case evaluations as well as nationwide representation.
Call today! 844-838-7529
Veterans Psych Evaluations
Brett Valette, Ph.D.
Providing Military Veterans Personalized Psychological and Medical Evaluations. Complete the Contact form, and you'll get a personal phone call from us. We listen, and want to know what you are going through. We provide Independent Medical Evaluations (IME), Independent Medical Opinions (IMO) and nexus letters for ratings reviews, secondary conditions, medical conditions, discharge upgrades, and many types of denied claims. We also provide Social Security Disability claim reports.
Some Wounds Can't Be Seen Contact Us Today
Jim Strickland is a Vietnam era Army veteran and nationally recognized expert on VA
disability benefits. Jim writes extensively about VA and Social Security disability benefits.
Jim's Mailbag is a regular column featured at Stateside Legal where veterans, servicemembers,
and family members can ask Jim their questions about VA and Social Security disability benefits.
November 2020 - I get a lot of email from veterans who have run afoul of the criminal justice system, who are divorcing, who have real estate problems or disputes with their neighbors and most will open with "I am a veteran...", and they all expect free legal help.
There is no free legal help for veterans other than that provided for working with VA disputes.
Let's get that out of the way right now.
You may get steeply discounted medical care, a stipend for education, legal help when dealing with VA problems and a free appetizer on Veterans Day but otherwise you're a civilian who served in the military and you get to pay your own way. When you piss off your spouse and end up in divorce court, you're on your own. If you buy that too good to be true used car and it dies a block away from the lot, there are no free veterans lawyers to bail you out. When you're arrested by DEA for all that meth...veterans don't get any consideration at all.
If you find that you have to represent yourself in a divorce or a landlord dispute, take the time to use the Internet to help yourself.
Find a real computer with a fast connection...a public library is always a good choice...and do a little research and you may discover a solution that was simpler than you thought.
Whatever your situation, scroll down the page and meet the lawyers here who will speak with you for free and go for it!
How To Hire A Veterans Law Attorney
Reasons to Consider Hiring An Attorney: First things first. The only reason for a veteran to hire an attorney is because the veteran believes that an attorney can help achieve a more favorable result than the veteran alone would otherwise obtain. That’s it. There is no other good reason. When do you call a lawyer? To hire or "retain" an attorney to guide you through a VA disability benefits appeal, you must first have a denial of an application that you submitted. The lawyer usually can't help you before that happens. You're about to be pleasantly surprised when I tell you that even if you're dead broke, you can afford a great lawyer. Attorney Fees: The most common type of fee is the percentage or contingency fee, which is the most favorable fee structure for most veterans in most veterans benefits cases. This is because the attorney is only paid if (1) an award is made and (2) there is an amount owed to the veteran at the time of the award. The attorney is then paid a percentage (usually between 20% and 33%) of the amount owed to the veteran when an award is approved. This amount, also known as a “retroactive” award, is the amount of due to the veteran from the effective date of the award up to the date of the award. If the award was made following an appeal to the Board and the effective date is the date the claim was originally filed (as it is in most cases), the retroactive amount could be 3 or 4 years of benefits. If the case goes up to the Veterans Court and back, the retroactive period could be ten years or more. As an example, assume a veteran filed a claim on January 1, 2004, and enters into a 20% contingency fee agreement with an attorney. On January 1, 2008, the veteran is awarded a 100% disability rating. The retroactive amount is the 100% monthly payment for the period between January 1, 2004, and January 1, 2008 (four years), which is approximately $120,000 at current rates. The attorney’s fee would be 20% of the $120,000 or $24,000.
What will your attorney do for you? A lot - but you won't see most of it. There isn't much hand holding in the VA appeals process. The lawyer won't call and update you regularly and you aren't encouraged to call in and check frequently. Once you and the lawyer agree that he or she will take your case, you have more papers to complete and sign. Now you and the lawyer have nothing else to talk about until VA acts. There is nothing your lawyer can do to speed up the process. There is no reason for you and your lawyer to maintain regular contact until VA makes a move. What will your attorney NOT do for you? These are lawyers, not magicians.
The lawyer can't help you if you don't have a well grounded claim or appeal. The lawyer won't fabricate evidence or stretch the truth. Veterans law attorneys are perhaps the most regulated professionals there are and they have any number of professionals licenses and certifications required to practice their trade. Your lawyer won't jeopardize all that by putting forth anything that is less than accurate. The lawyer you've chosen can't help you with other problems that you may encounter while you wait for your claim.
Your veterans law attorney is accredited by VA to represent you for that claim or appeal only. Other life problems you may run into won't be addressed by your veterans law attorney while you wait for your appeal. Scroll down this page to meet YOUR LAWYER.
Who wins the most cases? This report from the Board of Veterans Appeals leaves no doubt...if you want to prevail... Page 31reveals the Veterans Law Attorney wins 44.61% an accredited agent wins 38.79%, your State Service Officer brings in 35.17% American Legion is at 34.53% Disabled American Veterans comes in with 33.70% of cases won.
This isn't rocket surgery...professional representation wins more cases. /end/
C&P Service Clinician’s Guide
When the examiner says, “more likely than not”
or “at least as likely as not”, how
does that affect the outcome of your claim?
Medical Malpractice Attorneys Helping Veterans
Misdiagnosis Hospital Medical Errors
Nationwide Representation For Veterans
Call Now! 949 640 8222
Independent Medical Opinions Nexus Letters
Thomas Grieder, MD PhD
25 Years Service as a VA Psychiatrist
Lead Psychiatrist East Los Angeles
PTSD Clinical Team
I'm Jim Strickland
and I approve of this message.
You may file claims on eBenefits or you can mail them in using certified mail or you can even fax them in.
Download VA benefit letters
To receive some benefits, Veterans need a letter proving their status.
Specializing in Veterans Law
GloverLuck began with one goal in mind —
to help our veteran community get
the benefits and legal services they deserve.
Are You Rated For A Spine Condition?
Mistakes Have Been made!
Accuracy of Claims Decisions Involving
Conditions of the Spine
Thomas J. Seiter, Jr., M.D.
Veteran
Independent Medical Opinions
DBQs Nexus Letters
Service & Civilian Medical Records Reviews
Get Started
Two options explaining the
Benefits you've earned.
The NPRC
Military Records
Denis McDonough
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
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disability claim
Find out how to file a claim for disability compensation
or increased disability compensation.