Will Attorney Speed Things Up?

[darkhorse]

Hi, i been thinking about getting an attorney to help speed things along with my claims and IU. Any experience here if getting lawyer helps. I have turned everything in for increase but everytime I call they give me the same verbage. "your claim is in the development stage."

I just want to speed things up since they have all my evidence and I even turned in VCAA notice that I didn't have anything else to submit.

dH

[jim n ok]

an attorney at this stage is not necessary. jmho

[darkhorse]

Thanks Jim, knowing my luck i would get one and two weeks later it would go to rating board.

dh

[jim n ok]

if you go poking around with an attorney it may undo some progress,besides,you can't get an attorney until you've been denied i think.

[darkhorse]

I called the 1-800 number earlier today and was told they were still waiting on my VCAA notice so they could proceed...I turned this VCAA notice paper in over month ago.......go figure

Today I sent another just in case they lost it or never got it. You know the form that has two check boxes at bottom where you check whether or not you have more evidence to turn in.

dh

if you go poking around with an attorney it may undo some progress,besides,you can't get an attorney until you've been denied i think.

[Ricky]

Even dracula could not speed up your claim. They are an organization entrenched in a govt bureaucracy laced with enough redtape that would scare China.

Hang tight. It is a very, very slow process, but it is the best disability system in the world - once on the inside it will take very good care of you.

[broncovet]

I do not think an attorney will speed anything up. If your claim is in the "development stage", an attorney is not necessary IMHO.

You will do yourself some good if you realize the reality..the "development" stages lasts 1-2 years and the appeal stage lasts another 3-5 years. You can pretty much count on a VA claim taking about as long as your military service..at least 3 years. Do not buy into the false number they throw around of 6 months. That assumes everthing is perfect and you win your full benefits on the get go with no appeals. This almost never happens. Most of the rest of us waited an average of 2-5 years. My wait was 7 years. The VA loves to requrire 5 or 6 decisions to accomplish what one decision should accomplish.

After 7 years, I have to go back and appeal again, because the VA is trying to "weasel" out of paying back benefits from seven years ago..they are trying to only pay 2 years retro and not 7.

Get yourself some kind of hobby or something you like to do..play chess..watch football...something..its going to be a long, long wait.

Edited September 2, 2009 by broncovet