The story of a Veteran that our Firm represented was recently reported in the 2010 Annual Report of the Veterans ProBono Consortium.
The Veteran referenced in the
attached article came to our Firm through the Consortium's referral program. We helped him recover past-due benefits for his claim after he was repeatedly denied by the VA Regional Office (VARO), and the Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA).
The Attig Law Firm secured a Joint Remand of the matter from the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims based, in part, on a "Stegall Violation", and a failure of the BVA to provide adequate "Reasons and Bases" for its decision. A "Stegall Violation" occurs when the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA) fails to follow or adhere to its own remand order in a case. A "Stegall Violation" should never occur - it i, at its simplest, a finding that the BVA did not do what it told itself to do.
On remand, the Veteran was awarded a combined impairment rating of 70% for multiple service-connected disabilities, and granted retroactive benefits back to 2002. It is our understanding that because of that rating, the Veteran has received a retroactive 100% rating for
Total Disability - Individual Unemployability (TD/IU).
The Attig Law Firm congratulates Mr. Light on his hard-won victory. The Attig Law Firm is hopeful that his case serves as a beacon to other Veterans who have spent years, or decades, in the labyrinthine VA claims process that Mr. Attig calls "The Hamster Wheel". This is yet another example of how correct decisions by the VA - whether they are made in weeks, months, years, or decades - change lives for the better.
The Attig Law Firm would like to publicly acknowledge the attorney at the VA Office of General Counsel involved in this case - he was the first person in the VA's claim process to sit down and take a hard and honest look at the legal improprieties in the case and determine that the VA had made mistakes that cost this Veteran the benefits he deserved. (We won't mention his name - he knows who he is). Without the integrity of individuals throughout the VA Claims process, Veterans would have a much more difficult time securing the benefits that they are entitled to.
The Veterans Pro Bono Consortium (click here for their website) does so many things, it is hard to fit it all here. The organization's mission is succinctly stated:
"Every veteran or survivor who has taken an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims, who has a legally credible claim, and who wishes to be represented by counsel, shall have competent representation." Please consider supporting this wonderful organization with your charitable contributions. The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program is an organization exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and the full amount of the contribution may be tax deductible.
The Attig Law Firm represents
U.S. Veterans who have been denied benefits in their VA Disability claims for compensation due to injuries or diseases incurred during military service.
The Firm currently represents peace-time and war-time
veterans of all branches of the military, at all levels of the VA disability claim process (
VA Regional Office,
Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and the
Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims). Contact the Attig Law Firm if you would like to discuss your claim for
disability benefits before the VA.
No post on this website is meant to be legal advice and the posts on this website do not serve as a substitute for legal advice. Information is power, and we are providing this information to give you, the Veteran, some power. This information is not widely or easily accessible to Veterans. The information presented on this website is a general description of law and processes; each case is different, and there may be approaches listed here that are not accurate or applicable to your case. Likewise, their may be information that is applicable to your case that is not provided on this Veterans Disability Compensation Blog.
It is
very important that we note that each and every Veteran's claim is different. Just because we were able to secure substantial past-due benefits for one Veteran does not mean or imply that we will be able to do so for you. In some cases, we may not be able to secure you any financial compensation due to the facts of your particular case.
It is best to consult with a
lawyer familiar with VA Disability claims to examine your particular case. If you would like to discuss your VA claim with a
lawyer who handles VA Benefits and Disability Appeals,
contact the Attig Law Firm, PLLC, for a free consultation with a VA Disability attorney.
VA Disability attorneys at the
Attig Law Firm, PLLC, represent Veterans in their VA Disability Claims not only in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, but in VA Disability Claims all around the United States, Puerto Rico, and even overseas Veterans in their claims for
disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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