This is just a
repost of an Iowa Veteran's story; the Attig Law Firm has no relationship or connection to this Veteran.
It seems that the Veteran used congressional assistance to wade through the ocean of back-logged claims at his VA Regional Office. This story illustrates a couple of points:
1) When the VA is taking too long on your claim, or you are in need of emergency assistance from the VA and they are not responding, consider contacting your Congressional Representative. Consider contacting State and Federal representatives - this office has gotten some great assistance from State Representatives who often will go to great lengths to help a Veteran constituent.
Always be polite and civil to Congressional Representatives - "losing it" in a letter, email or visit to your Congressional Representative is not going to help your case. In fact, Congress is a whole separate branch of government than the VA (which is an Executive Agency), and so a lot of Congressional Representatives will take a lot of proactive measures to assist a Veteran who:
a) Honestly represent the status of the claim,
b) clearly describe the problem they face and they help they are asking for,
c) corresponds civilly and politely, and,
d) is reasonable in the relief they are seeking.
2) The VA has no procedure for emergency claims processing/decisions; such a procedure would have helped the Iowa Veteran in this story. Many Veterans become homeless because the VA sits on their claims for years - even decades. I know of many Veterans who, when faced with the VA's antiquated decision making process, have had to leave this country to live somewhere they can afford rather than become another homeless disabled Veteran.
3) The VA is very sensitive to bad publicity. I distinctly remember one veteran's C-File that had more emails and memos from VA officials who were concerned that a particular Veteran might actually carry out his threats of a "hunger strike" than it had medical records (in other words, the VA spent more time worrying about negative publicity than handling the claim). The lesson learned - don't threaten negative publicity in your correspondence - just make it happen. An Army Captain (shout out to Art Weeks, where-ever you are) used to say (words to this effect): there are people that talk and people that do - the people that talk are less likely to be people that do. The VA knows this, too.
Contact your local newspapers and television stations. Get organized to protest and raise awareness of the VA's incompetency. Raise public awareness of Veterans in need by organizing fundraisers (motorcycle rallies, for example). Pass out leaflets at any political gathering where Americans are pounding their chest "for our troops" or speaking of the sacrifices of soldiers and Veterans - help the American public to put its votes and money where its platitudes are.
[A cautionary footnote: I am not advocating or encouraging anyone to go on a hunger strike: they can be medically dangerous and result in severe injury and/or death for many people. If you decide to go on a hunger strike, before doing so you should visit with your doctor several times to make sure you are healthy enough to engage in that kind of protest, etc.]
The VA's system is anachronistic and antiquated - not only the process, but the filing, communication, correspondence, decisions, and general demeanor of this Agency. The more that Veterans point out these problems with the VA to their Congressional representatives (many of whom have no idea how barbaric the VA is until they have to deal with the Agency themselves), the more likely we are to get a Congressional Representative who will "ante-up" and sponsor legislation to gut and reform this Agency.
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