Training Classes

[Fat]

Are there any classes veterans can attend to learn VA procedure and law. It would seem helpful to both sides for veterans to know proper procedure when filing paperwork (claims, CUES, NOD's, Form 9, etc). The VA benefits by better developed claims and less stress deciding what evidence is important.

[kate7772]

Is the manual replaced each year free of charge or do you need to buy a new one?

[Philip Rogers]

No, it is not replaced free. Both Berta and myself purchase a new one every year. A small price to pay to know your enemy!!! If you have a claim (any claim), with the VA, you can't afford not to own it, unless you can get your local library to carry it for you (and others). It sounds like a lot but one month of a 10% award just about covers it. jmo

pr

[Berta]

Each VBM repeats much of the last VBM but incorporates the newest regulation changes and precedent court decisions into their current manuals.

The reason for the repeated info is this...I used to work in a law office and in those days we would have to associate supplements of regulations into the regular law books.

It was miserable work and often new court cases or changed regulations could get overlooked because it is time consuming to check for supplements and then go back to the original citations.

The format of the VBM ( maybe 1800 pages by now) is perfect ,because many of us have needed to use older regulations at time of a CUE claim, for example, and so anything they need to repeat ,can be well worth it, and certainly beneficial to anyone getting their first VBM.

The lawyers at NVLSP are great too. Rick Spataro, Head Nehmer lawyer there, graciously answered any question I had about the 2010 AO IHD regs and many other Nehmer questions I had,because he knew I would post accurate info from him here at hadit.

I used to donate new VBMs to my former reps office every year. Then I found out they didn't even read it and they moved the copies into an upstairs office that many disabled veterans could not even get access to.

Carlie is certainly an expert advocate here and she uses it too and made the point that claimants cannot afford to Not have it.

I sure agree.

Most vet reps in the National vet orgs get trained by NVLSP. The training is about a week of a seminar I think.

But by the time they start to really deal with claims, they probably forget most of the training, and you would think they could well afford to buy personal copies of the VBM themselves but most of them don't.

This is one reason many of them are so completely inept at handling claims.

PR and Carlie are both true claims experts and many of you here have a vast wealth of VA knowledge -far beyond what many vet reps have.

Maybe if VA ever gets fixed, the vet reps will have to get 'fixed' too.They are definitely part of the backlog problem.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Berta

[Philip Rogers]

Berta - I doubt the vet reps will ever get trained properly, as the VA likes it that way. A late friend had a VSO have him sign a statement that he agreed w/his 50% award for PTSD. It cost him yrs of retro I could have gotten him.

pr

[NavyWife]

Ditto on buying the VBM. Philip Rogers recommended it to me last year, when I started this journey. I balked at the price and figured I could find good information for free other places.WRONG! A month or two later I ponied up the big bucks to buy it & reading it was like all the secrets of VA were revealed to me!

But I will say don't bother buying it unless you are super motivated to win your claim. It's a massive book that will take countless hours to read & understand. I go back and reread sections often.

VA will still try to screw you on your claims, but at least by reading this book and researching the regulations you will know when you're getting screwed!

[Fat]

Thanks for the advice.