Great Resource - "claim Denied" By John D. Roche

[tssnave]

I have waited for over a year for "Claim Denied" by John D. Roche to hit the presses and it has finally been published and is well worth the wait. When I had an active claim I read his other book, "The Veteran's Survivial Guide" and found it very helpful. In previewing his current book about the appeals process I have found a couple great court cases that I was unaware of (always nice to be informed and have information locked and loaded in case you ever need it).

John is a former VA rater and he gives you the low down on how to win your claim from an insider's perspective. I can't recall if he is a vet himself or not but he is a straight shooter and knows the VA.

You can purchase the book for $11.02 + $5.00 s/h from Potomac Books, Inc.

Here's a link for "Claim Denied":

http://www.potomacbooksinc.com/Books/BookD...roductID=153768

If you are earlier in the claims process (before any appeals) here's the link to his first book, "The Veteran's Survival Guide" that also costs $11.02 (not sure what the combined s/h would be):

http://www.potomacbooksinc.com/Books/BookD...productID=50509

One thing I liked a lot about both of his books is they are small, easy to understand books. When I had an active claim I also purchased the Veteran's Benefits Manual (VBM), which is invaluable when you're dealing with the VA. You can also buy it on CD which is great when you want to look stuff up and print it off. However, the VBM is huge and can be intimidating when you are just starting out (or it was for me, anyway), plus, at $135 it is expensive. However, having said that, I highly recommend the VBM as well.

Here's the link to just the VBM:

http://www.lexisnexis.com/veteranslaw/maninfo.asp

They also have some discounts for sets. I don't see the set I usually get which is the VBM book, VBM CD, and Federal law book. I hope in their marketing to lawyers they don't stop selling that particular set. When I was doing my claim I bought the forms CD but unless you are helping a lot of folks do claims I didn't use it enough to make it worth the cost (my opinion - others may feel differently - at least it helps you make sure you fill out all the right blanks). Here is a link for sets:

http://www.lexisnexis.com/veteranslaw/moneysaver.asp

While I am listing my favorite resources, for those who haven't heard of it before, the NVLSP folks who produce the VBM also have a more or less quarterly newsletter that covers recent VA court cases. They have gone to an online newsletter and have had some trouble getting the issues out on time (I'm still waiting for the 2008 Q4 issue) but despite all that, it is a very good resource as well, though again, rather spendy ($40 for back issues, $60/yr if you get two years, and $80/yr if you only get a one year subscription):

http://www.nvlsp.org/Publications/Bookstor...ansadvocate.htm

As I've mentioned before, you can always ask your local library if they can get these resources in their catalog which would make them available to you and other veterans in your community at no charge.

My thanks, once again, for the long term members of this board who told me about the VBM and The Advocate years ago. I like to occasionally post these resources on the board for newer members who may not have heard about them before because they were so helpful to me when I was working my claim.

Happy New Year and God Bless you all,

TS Snave

Edited January 10, 2009 by tssnave

[vmo]

I do have the most recent copy of the Veterans Benefit Manual from Lexis/Nexis/NVLSP. Great resource. I just sent for a copy of "Claim Denied". "Leave no stone unturned"--someone said this, don't know who. My third appeal was near 7 years. I've won 2 out of 3. The internet and Hadit have been an invaluable resource. I am always looking for new info. One thing I have a lot of is----time. Thanks again!!

[vaf]

Major Roche served in WWII, and has not only been a rater, but also a veterans service officer. Awhile back, I was in touch with him about a particular challenge I was experiencing with my husband's claims. Potomac Books later contacted me and gave me the honor of including an endorsement from me on the cover of his first book.

He is a well-versed professional in this field, and an all-around good guy. I too have been waiting for many months for this book to become available. It can also be purchased at amazon.com.

[tssnave]

VAF,

I pulled out my copy of the first book and assuming your handle here equates to your initials, I read your endorsement on the back of that book. Way cool!!

His second book, Claim Denied, is really great, especially for the guys with heart problems since that's the type of case he uses as his example. He also gives a nice list of court cases to cite for different issues vets may face when they are appealing their claims.

His books are easy to read. If you ever talk or correspond with him again please let him know that this old soldier and former military brat really appreciates that he took the time to help us out by writing these books.

Thanks,

TS

[vaf]

Yes, he's a disabled veteran himself, with cardiac-related issues. He's had his share of rating disasters, and when he speaks, much of it is from first-hand experience.