ptsd Finding A Good Attorney - How Is It Done?

[hedgey]

My husband's cousin is looking for an attorney to help take on his claim (well, sort of). He's in upstate NY and has been denied his claim for HTN and GERD as secondary due to medications he takes for his SC back. He also has been diagnosed with PTSD but hasn't filed a claim since he can't face the challenge of pulling together the evidence.

I've told him to get a lawyer, but he says he just doesn't know where to start looking. His VSO is worthless, he says, and he's heard nothing good about the other VSO's available in his area. He's at the end of his rope and says he wants to just let it go, but I can't stand to see him do that!

So what's the best way to find a good, honest, pro-vet attorney? He doesn't have a social network to ask around in, and he says he can't face doing interview after interview.

I can't help him with his case, I have more than I can manage with my own and my husbands... but can anyone help me point him in the right direction?

[hedgey]

Thanks everyone ;)

That's pretty much what my feelings were when he told me his VSO said "slam dunk". I raised an eyebrow, but hope springs eternal, and I thought maybe his VSO knew something the rest of us didn't.

But the question still remains, how does a vet find a good lawyer? How does a vet who has more or less isolated himself for the last some-odd years find one, when he doesn't have a group of friends to ask, or pals down at the VFW? Is there a Veteran's Attorney Registry somewhere? Or is it a matter of opening up the yellow pages and hoping for the best?

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[LarryJ]

Thanks everyone ;)

That's pretty much what my feelings were when he told me his VSO said "slam dunk". I raised an eyebrow, but hope springs eternal, and I thought maybe his VSO knew something the rest of us didn't.

But the question still remains, how does a vet find a good lawyer? How does a vet who has more or less isolated himself for the last some-odd years find one, when he doesn't have a group of friends to ask, or pals down at the VFW? Is there a Veteran's Attorney Registry somewhere? Or is it a matter of opening up the yellow pages and hoping for the best?

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Many of your attorneys that advertise as "Social Security" lawyers, are also versed in VA law.

Most local, county, bar associations keep lists of what their members like to do.

[Testvet]

I can and will recommend the lawyers at NOVA

http://www.vetadvocates.com/

these lawyers specialize in veterans claims and hold continuing education seminars every quarter and if they run into probelsm they network and call the pros like Ken Carpenter they are ethical and do excellent work

[hedgey]

I can and will recommend the lawyers at NOVA

http://www.vetadvocates.com/

these lawyers specialize in veterans claims and hold continuing education seminars every quarter and if they run into probelsm they network and call the pros like Ken Carpenter they are ethical and do excellent work

Testvet, thank you. There's one not too far from us, so I'm going to give the lady a call.

Thanks!!

[john999]

I am using one of the lawyers from the NOVA webpage. These are the ones who have gone to the seminars and learned at least something.

[Testvet]

John you have known me a very long time and I hope you know I would NOT recommend anyone that I haven't used myself and know their quality veterans claims are hard enough SSD lawyers know SS law they do not know VA law and as fast as the VA changes it even most of the VA employed lawyers can hardly keep up with their own changes so it takes lawyers willing to committ a lot of time to continuing education to stay current on VA law and none of them are getting rich from taking on our cases but they are doing some excellent service to the veterans and their families they do help and in most cases they like us have to wait years for the claim to be settled and they get paid

many spend years before they have enough clients and enough cases getting settled before they can even claim to make a "decent living" practicing VA law before 2007 most of the VA lawyers only practiced at the COVA level so this is new territory for most of them and from what I have heard they prefer being able to get into the case after the initial denial as it allows them usually to get it settled for the veterans and their family sooner than it used to take by having to fight it out at the COVA level and then the case is set and you have to argue case law rather than to be able to get IMOs and IMEs to help the lawyer frame the case to start with and makes it easier for them to obtain a favorable rating for the veteran years before they normally would have been able to at the COVA level we veterans and the lawyers that specialize in veterans laws are the real winners with this new law

that is probably why the service organizations fought so hard to keep lawyers out of regular appeals process I had much better luck getting my lawyer to respond to e mail or phone calls than I ever did from a VSO I never got a return call and they all claimed they didn't have e mail BS like phone calls they didn't want to have to deal with e mail either but then again the average VSO has what 2 or 3000 open cases if he had to call or answer e mail for that many people they would never get anything done

my NOVA lawyer has had to hire a legal aide to help her as her case load is now growing she is excellent and she has also been teaching veterans law at the local university so she is helping to educate a new bunch of lawyers that will at least know the basics of dealing with the VARO if they decide to help veterans some do pro bono work while making mega bucks for large legal firms I guess it makes them feel better whatever the reason I am grateful for whatever help they give any veteran or their widows at least now we have a even playing field for the first time in over a century I was tired of being treated as a second class citizen I know there are some very good SOs out there the problem is they are to few and to far between