Comments on: VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS: SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY

By: reynaldo lopez

reynaldo lopez — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:24:22 +0000

I live in San Antonio Tx.I have been diagnosed with PTSD and Hypertention.The VA has denied my claim 2 or 3 times. Is there anybody or organition that can help me get my claim approved? My e-mail address is rplmal @yahoo.com

By: reynaldo lopez

reynaldo lopez — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:05:42 +0000

i need someone or an organization that can help me get my disability claim approved by the VA. I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD and hypertention. My e-mail address is rplmal @yahoo.com PLEASE HELP.

By: Terry

Terry — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:31:54 +0000

VSO’s will not tell you to skip the VARO’s DRO appeal process but I will tell you the DRO is a huge waste of time. You can read the NOVA report on VAWatchdog.com search engine to see how screwed up the DRO process is. I want to share that the DRO process can take 1 to 2 years to go through and end up with a photo copy of your prior denial or the DRO changes the issues and ignors the core issues you want them to rule on.
I belive the VA delibertly make its rulings to look so stupid to the veterans that the vet feels they can show the errors and win there case and therefore they appeal back to the VA that screwed them in the first place. Then years latter they see the time they wasted. Vets if you get a ruling that makes you angry, reads unprofessonal and easy to beat. Just move on and go to BVA. Those rulings are nothing but sucker bait.
I would like to add. The VA gets paid twice if you appeal to the DRO>

Terry

By: Terr;y

Terr;y — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:39:51 +0000

Dear Josh.

You really hate veterans shareing there personal exdpereances with the VA and VSO’s to other veterans, which exposes whats really going on.

As far as my personal qualificatons. I lived the VA claims process for my adult life of which im now 54 years old, am 100% sercice connected and working getting my 16 years back pay that they are trying to steal from me.
I live near a law school that has all 20 volumes of Veterans Court rulings and the VBM. The VBM was written to train lawyers, VSO’s lay people on VA law. I am just a lay person with VBM training and 33 years experence on how the VA operates and does veterans.

In the veterans claim community where the government just last year authorized vets right to have a lawyer and 800.000 man backlog. For veterans this has turned into a community of a internet prison camp so to speak. We are subjected to sever financil violance with familys suffering. We turn to each other as we would if in a POW camp for help to excape this VA corrupton. Veterans helping each other weather in the military or out.. Veterans have done magnificant things for each other. I’m sorry if I dont meet your approval. But I’m here for the disabled veteran and the VA through its behavior has left a huge vacume which vets like me try to fill

Terry Higgins

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:45:25 +0000

Terry,
Just wondering what your expertise on the subject on VA claims is? Is it based on the fact that you filed one? Wow, I have cooked dinner, but does that make me a gourmet chef? I drive my POV, does that qualify me to drive NASCAR? The problem with individuals with no real training or using “their research” is that they more often than not give bad advice and become a “barracks” lawyer. You all knew the guys…they knew everything you needed to do and how to do it. When asked how they knew, their cousin did it, they heard about it, but not one bit of training or fact based knowledge. So Terry I ask, did you receive some training, or are you just another barracks lawyer venting?

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:38:52 +0000

Terry,
I hate to tell you, but the fact that a C&P wasn’t performed was not N&M evidence, nor could it be considered basis for a CUE. The failure of the VARO to properly execute their “Duty to Assist”, while an appealable within the allowed appeal period CANNOT in and of itself reopen a claim or be used to file a CUE. Now if at the time of your original rating decision you had medical evidence of record, that would be considered sufficient for rating purposes, and the VA ignored such evidence that is a different picture. I am a VSO Terry, and if makes me sick to hear people whine about how a VSO screwed them over when in reality they did not communicate with their rep or did not provide the evidence that their rep’s tell them to get. We can only work with what our clients provide. Are there some bad VSO’s out there, you bet. But by a long shot most are hard working dedicated individuals trying to actually help their fellow veterans. It is real easy to sit back a do nothing bu b!tch, or write baseless articles, but to get off your a$$ and do something every day is different.

By: terry

terry — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:51:41 +0000

Dear Duff and veterans

Im loosing half of my written messages to this site. It wont let me copy or paste.

Im ending my writting here until the softwear problem that i was told was the problem, when that is fixed and were not errased any more. I will continue where I left off.

Except for errasing our messages which we spend time crafting. This is a good web site.

Best regards

Terry

By: terry

terry — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:09:30 +0000

testing

I have a 50% error rate and it errases my messages. just testing.

Terry

By: Terry

Terry — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:08:32 +0000

Dear Veterans

Back on my soap box. hehehehhe.

Be carefull of all paper documents you send to the VSO’s Even though they have you sign a power of attorney. VSO’s do not act like attorneys. Documents you send to the VASO will be sent to the vARO without you first talking to them about documents you feeel should be held back. A real lawyer will triage all documents before sending any to the other side.

VSO’s will recomend you appeal within the RO’s after they made there first denial its called a DRO hearing. Go to VA watchdog .com on there search engine and type NOVA. Then go down to the third story. You will find what a waste of time it is to go to the RO for any thing. By law you have to send your claim in to a RO. However once they rule. YOu can appeal directly to the BVA and skip years of delay and frustraton.

Ill write more on the VA and and how they manipulate veterans during the denial process.

I have had 50% deleaton of my writtings on here so I do littel writting as I can. Hope this gets through

Terry

By: Terry

Terry — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:24:22 +0000

Dear Josh

Your name calling proves to me you have a high level of frustraton because you cant intellectully persuade the readers im wrong.

Dave Ryan DAV is the only SO i remember the name. I doubt if any SO remembver s me or the circustances of your discussions.

I do feel confident that others here can see the truth in my writtings.

Now that vets can go public on there experences. This is something that the pro VA folks hate reading

Terry

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:43:39 +0000

Terry,
I am still waiting for you to provide a shred of PROOF to back up your baseless accusations. But I guess that is the benefit of being a nutjob, you can just spout off and who cares if it is true or not.

By: Terry

Terry — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:03:58 +0000

Dear Veterans

My dissatisfacton with the VSO program was nurtured by the VSO’s themselfs. Just look at the tittle of this web site. “Sleeping with the enemy” VSO’s have no oversite and have not been investigated to see there efectivness.

The best advivce I can give for this situaton is to get a lawyer after the first VA denial. My lawyer has pratice VA law for over a decade I belive. Joe Moore 877-838-2889. Joe got me $25K ahd then $99K,,,,,

I hired Joe Moore after I refused to sign a VSO’s appeal to a VA low ball rating of 30%. the VSO wanted to rate me at 50%. Boy am I glad I left that VSO and got Joe. I have had over a $1.400K a month added payment by the VA due to Joe. VSO’s can be very harmful to your wallet.

Terry

By: terry

terry — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:51:41 +0000

Dear Josh

I had asked the American Legion to represent me on the grounds that a C&P that was never performed was in and of itselrf new and material evidence. The American Legion said the VA decision was finial unless there was new and material evidence sumitted to re open a claim. It was clear the VSO’s were not going to challenge the VA on the C&P issue and if I were to win my case I had to go it alone. I did go it alone and won at the BVA level and won the right for C&P and recived my 100% there after

We vets have our testimonys and can use this fourm to put words to what the VA and VSO’s really do to vets.

Josh. Are you a VSO?

Terry

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:36:12 +0000

Terry,
A shame you actually know so little of the claim process. But, you don’t allow that ignorance to keep you from spouting off. VSO’s don’t file appeals without a request from the veteran or discussing it with the veteran first. It is NOT the job of a VSO to appeal a decision on your behalf, the ultimate responsibility falls on you! Did you take action on that? Did you ask your VSO about the decision? Or did you think you could just turn in some paperwork and you could have someone else do everything for you? Take some personal responsibility, you hack. If a VSO finds fault in a Rating decision or SOC, SSOC…etc, they will take that decision to the rating specialist, DRO…etc and talk to them about changing it, but they by no means can force the VA to do ANYTHING, including the scheduling of a C&P exam. The VSO’s do so many things with individual claims that the individuals who filed them have no clue about, such as discussing changing ratings, trying to persuade a RSVR to make a rating go a certain way. These things happen on a daily basis and an individual representing themselves does not have that access.

Bottom line, Terry, please grow up.

By: terry

terry — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:50:42 +0000

dear Josh

A post script to the above responce to your note to me.

The VSO’s failed there duty directly by not appealing the VA’s C&P denial. Just following blindly anything the VA tells them, Really subjects the vet to a VA mole type representiaton of there claim instead of a real power of attorny who would instantly fight against the VA in this case..

Thats where the VSO’s faild and I beleave added and abbeded the VA’s 22 years of denying me a C&P

By: terry

terry — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:37:34 +0000

Dear Jhosh

Any VSO that obeys a VA decission that obstructs a vets claim. That VSO is as guilty as the VA employee who gave that order.

IF the VSO’s are not willing to fight for our claims as history has shown over and over again. Veterans claims are denied.

IN my case a medical opnion to connect the medical dots to the evidencve and then link that to service was so nessesary. the VA and VSO’s knew what they were doing to my claim when no one was even willing to ask for a C&P

Only when I went it alone up to the BVA. Did the BVA lawyer rule it was a denial of my due process rights not to have a C&P, The VSO’s by not challenging the VA’s decision not to let me have a C&P. Denied my my due process rigthts for 22 years. IF the VSO’s dont do there jobs and speak up for the vet by challenging VA denials of our due process rights. Who will? By the DAV and AL not asking for a C&P. They were willing participants in allwoing my C&P denial to go unchallneged.

I have been 100% service connected since 2001 and have had 8 years of taking care of my family no thanks to any of the vSO’s

Terry

By: terry

terry — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:20:59 +0000

Testing I just wrote a letter to Josh and it was compleatly errased by whet i been told is softwear glichs in the program . Sending this through to see if I can now get through

TerryTesting I just wrote a letter to Josh and it was compleatly errased by whet i been told is softwear glichs in the program . Sending this through to see if I can now get through

Trying to copy and paste. so far that is not wroking out for me

Terry

By: Josh

Josh — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:34:00 +0000

Terry,
I hate to show your ignorance, but I must. You state that the VA told the DAV not to give you a C&P…BS. I call you a bold face liar. First off, the DAV has nothing to do with scheduling C&P exams. It is entirely done by the VA. The DAV can request one the VA can honor or ignore the request. If you didn’t get a C&P it had nothing to do with any SO. It was the VA and the VA alone. Telling folks any different is plain lying and misrepresentation to TRY and support your contention. Take off your tinfoil hat and start living the truth.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:16:29 +0000

So I guess your VSO is better than the other VSO’s? Or Well that’s them, not us? Or our VSO will do things how you say…just join and see? For the “president” of a “VSO” you are a hipocrite.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:10:53 +0000

Dear Terry,
Can you provide a single shred of proof that the VSO’s (and even the VA for that matter) “fight very hard to keep veterans from obtaining” a private nexus opinion (a medical opinion)? Yes, you may go out and get a medical opinion on your own. Do you know what requirements are needed for a valid nexus letter? Who will review that letter and make sure it answers the appropriate questions for you? Who will advise you on what more you may need in a letter? How about a VSO? Folks, I have heard and read many people talk about going into the claim process with the “do-it-yourself” method, and it is stupid. Yes you might get granted. But the VA has many complicated twists and turns in its claim and appeals process. A DAV NSO goes through a 16 month training program before they move from trainee to associate. this is more training in the VA process than ANY attorney has. DAV NSO’s continue to train (and test) for their entire career. Training never ends, it can’t when dealing with CAVC, etc..
So if you can’t back up your statements with fact, don’t make them. VSO’s do not discourage ANYONE from getting a medical opinion, nor do they keep it a secret. You, like your buddy Duff, are just another tinfoil hat wearer.