Hired Lawyer

[gp747]

i am sick of the whole mess i hired lawyer sent papers today. these vso's act like you are a pile of s--t when you try to get info out of them.i am sick of it ,they are worthless and more likely are to damage your claim rather than help. legal help for vets

is who i got . they were kind enough to extend my time for holding my files and i decided on them ,michael viterna.

if i do not hire lawyer i am going to really get screwed . this vso s--t isn't worth a damn and i am tired of their condescending e-mails when i want a simple answer.

i have no faith in vso's anymore and do not see what purpose they serve they sure haven't helped me ,what i have got was on my own.

they should be barred and let lawyers step in from the start,that would stop the backlog. the lawyers could get it right from the start and cut down on appeals .

[MikeR]

That's interesting. I wonder how many Vets are hiring a lawyer. I have been considering it lately.

[peacecindia]

That's interesting. I wonder how many Vets are hiring a lawyer. I have been considering it lately.

I hired a lawyer. He sent me a contract. I signed it and mailed it back.

I'm to have no dealings with VA whatsoever.

This is so comforting.

Regional offices will have to use a central shredder

to shred documents and document what they shred. They will not have the advantage of DAV collusion.

Not in my claim at least.

>SCOOBY & I think 'SUNFIRE' threw me over the edge with my decision to hire an attorney. I was sitting on a fence!

Just hoping my reopened claim with special temporary handling procedures would make a difference in the

outcome of my claim.

Maybe I can look back on 3 wasted years and laugh about it someday? As soon as I talked to the lawyer,

I knew it was the right move for my claim.

CH

Edited March 30, 2009 by peacecindia

[tagandbag]

I chose to use an atty. also. I did my original claim myself and was awarded 30% for PTSD, I really studied on how to be succesful on being granted compensation, with help from family,ex-bosses, friends and MDS. However, last July I decided to call an atty. and see if they would represent me and they said yes. Prior to that I had allready filed an NOD, because I felt the 30% was to low and temporary. I did use vso's several times at the VAMC in Miami, but all they really did was e-mail forms and make copies, no law skills at all. I went with the atty., to take the pressure off of me somewhat and plus I am not very good in arguing with people and felt an atty. would give me the best edge in an appeal. Also I have never seen my c-file except when it was sitting on the desk at my CP exam. Atty requested that in Sept. 08, still no c-file. Also in Sept. 08 I was awarded SSDI and the atty. sent in a request for IU in Dec after I got my medical file on cd from SSA. My atty. is going for the full monty and supposedly its all in the hands of the DRO now. Don.t know if I will get the DRO hearing or decision, SOC or what. It has been going on 11mos. since I filed my first NOD. At this juncture I feel more comfortable with an atty watching my back and if all fails, I know I couldn't deal with this by myself. I would probably quit, because of the anxiety. And any VSO I am acustomed to isn't going to help you. Just my take on attorneys and VSO.

T&B

[Shark]

That's interesting. I wonder how many Vets are hiring a lawyer. I have been considering it lately.

One thing to note, a lawyer will usually not take your case unless he/she evaluates it and feels that the case has merit. They do not want to waste their time if there is little chance of winning. The VSO's will advise you not to engage an attorney, but this is something that you need to evaluate for yourself and your case. For me, with the PTSD issues, I just cannot deal with the VA without getting enraged and basically hurting myself by cussing people out. It is better for me to have an attorney representing me. He evaluated my case and felt that I have a good one, so now I just sit back and wait. He also told me that he has a dedicated person at every VARO that only works with attorneys so things get speeded up a bit. Bottom line, do what you think is best for you!

[sunfish34]

We are just starting to talk to a lawyer, and I think we will go with one also, just tired of all

the bull they put us through, that is how we feel :)

[peacecindia]

I know how you feel about quitting because the anxiety & stress

gets to be too much to deal with. .

Having a lawyer takes some pressure off me to prove anything to

an RO employee and allows me to relax.

I also signed an EAJA document so the lawyer can be paid if

he has to represent me and my claim at the Court of Appeals

after RO and BVA levels.

CH

I chose to use an atty. also. I did my original claim myself and was awarded 30% for PTSD, I really studied on how to be succesful on being granted compensation, with help from family,ex-bosses, friends and MDS. However, last July I decided to call an atty. and see if they would represent me and they said yes. Prior to that I had allready filed an NOD, because I felt the 30% was to low and temporary. I did use vso's several times at the VAMC in Miami, but all they really did was e-mail forms and make copies, no law skills at all. I went with the atty., to take the pressure off of me somewhat and plus I am not very good in arguing with people and felt an atty. would give me the best edge in an appeal. Also I have never seen my c-file except when it was sitting on the desk at my CP exam. Atty requested that in Sept. 08, still no c-file. Also in Sept. 08 I was awarded SSDI and the atty. sent in a request for IU in Dec after I got my medical file on cd from SSA. My atty. is going for the full monty and supposedly its all in the hands of the DRO now. Don.t know if I will get the DRO hearing or decision, SOC or what. It has been going on 11mos. since I filed my first NOD. At this juncture I feel more comfortable with an atty watching my back and if all fails, I know I couldn't deal with this by myself. I would probably quit, because of the anxiety. And any VSO I am acustomed to isn't going to help you. Just my take on attorneys and VSO.

T&B

Edited March 30, 2009 by peacecindia