20 Inspiring Quotes About Veterans Disability Attorney

Veterans Disability Lawsuits - Why You Need a Lawyer Who is Accredited to Handle Veterans Disability Lawsuits

Attorneys who profit from veterans with disabilities to make money often rely on their benefits. You need an attorney that is certified to manage VA claims.

A Connecticut veteran who was suffering from schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health disorders linked to a deadly aircraft carrier crash has won an important victory. However, it comes with an expense.

Class Action Settlement

The Department of Veterans Affairs has repeatedly discriminated against Black veterans by refusing disability compensation claims at a higher rate than white veterans, as per a lawsuit filed Monday. Conley Monk, a 74-year-old Marine Corps veteran who served during the Vietnam War, is the plaintiff in the lawsuit. According to the records obtained by Monk as well as the Yale Law School Veterans Legal Services Clinic and Monk, he claims that VA denied his disability claim at a much higher rate than white veterans over the past three decades.

Monk, a retired psychiatrist, has claimed that discrimination from VA has caused him, as well as other black vets, to suffer in a manner that has affected their health, their home lives and employment as well as education. He would like the VA to reimburse him for the benefits they have denied him, and to alter their policies regarding race and discharge status as well as denial rates.

Monk and the Veterans Legal Services Clinic received 20 years of VA disability claim data last year via a Freedom of Information Act request, which they submitted on behalf of National Veterans Council for Legal Redress, and the Black veterans disability lawsuit Project. The data revealed that Black veterans were statistically less likely to be granted a disability claim than white veterans between 2001 to 2020. Additionally the average denial rate was 6.3% higher for black veterans than it was for white veterans.

Discrimination due to PTSD

The Veterans Affairs Department systematically denies disability benefits to Black veterans, as per a lawsuit filed Monday. The lawsuit is brought by an ex- Marine Corps vet who was denied housing, education and other benefits despite having a diagnosis of PTSD. The suit cites evidence to show that VA officials have denied claims submitted by Black Veterans disproportionately.

Conley Monk was a member of the Marines as an unpaid volunteer during the Vietnam War. He drove a bullet-ridden transport vehicle, and assisted in moving equipment and troops into combat zones. He was later involved in two fights with fellow Marines who he blamed for his PTSD and was issued a discharge from the military that was not honorable in 1971. This "bad paper" kept him from getting home loans or tuition aid as well as other benefits.

He sued the military to reverse the discharge and was awarded full benefits in 2015 and in 2020. He claims that the VA is owed money for previous denials of disability benefits. He also suffered emotional trauma from reliving some of his most traumatic memories in each application and re-application to receive benefits, the suit says.

The lawsuit seeks monetary damages, and wants the court to direct the VA to review its systemic PTSD discrimination. It is the latest effort by groups such as the ACLU and Service Women's Action Network to make it mandatory for the VA to address discrimination that has been in place for years against sexual assault survivors.

Alimony Discrimination

Those who served in uniform, or those who accompanied them, deserve to know the truth about veterans disability benefits and their impact on divorce financial issues. One of the most commonly held misconceptions is that the state courts can garnish veterans' VA compensation to pay for child support and alimony. This is not the case. Congress carefully crafted Title 38 of the U.S. Code to safeguard the payment of veterans from claims made by creditors and family members in the case of alimony and child support.

Conley Monk, who was a volunteer for his country, spent two years in Vietnam driving bulletproof transport vehicles and moving equipment and troops out of combat zones. He received several medals for his service, but was later acquitted of a less honorable discharge after he got involved in two fights that were caused by undiagnosed PTSD. It was a long, winding road for him to get the VA to accept disability compensation.

He was denied access at a rate significantly higher than white people. This racial discrimination was systemic and pervasive, according the lawsuit brought on his behalf by the National Veterans Council for Legal Redress and the Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School. The lawsuit claims that the VA knew about and failed to take action to end decades of discrimination against Black veterans disability lawyers. It seeks redress for Monk and other veterans who are like him.

Appeal

The VA's Board of Veterans Appeals reviews claims for benefits when a person disagrees with a decision the agency has made. It is crucial to appeal a decision as soon as you are able. A veteran disability lawyer can help ensure that your appeal fulfills all requirements and gets an appropriate hearing.

A lawyer with experience can look over the evidence used to prove your claim and, should it be necessary, present new and additional evidence. A lawyer who understands the challenges of the VA will be more understanding of your situation. This can be a valuable advantage in your appeals.

A claim for disability from a veteran is usually denied due to the agency could not accurately describe their condition. An experienced attorney can make sure that your condition is correctly categorized and rated, allowing you to get the benefits you need. An experienced attorney will be able work with medical experts to provide additional evidence of your condition. A medical professional could, for instance, be able prove that the pain you are experiencing is due to your service-related injury, and is disabling. They may also be able help you obtain the medical records that are required to support your claim.