VA LAWSUIT UPDATE: LAWYERS GO TO COURT AS VETS PLAN PROTEST --

Veterans to rally in front of Court as lawyers seek changes to slow disability claims process.

Media Advisory: DEC 17th U.S. DISTRICT COURTHOUSE RALLY

VETERANS WILL GATHER TO FIGHT FOR FASTER DISABILITY BENEFITS DECISIONS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

WHAT: Hundreds of thousands of America’s heroes are facing irreparable financial and personal hardship because the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking a year, and in many cases more than four years, to provide decisions on their disability claims. Veterans will gather at the U.S. District Courthouse to show support for a lawsuit filed by the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) and Veterans of Modern Warfare (VMW) against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Court is holding a hearing on December 17 to hear arguments from the VVA and VMW and the VA.

The lawsuit filed by the VVA and VMW on behalf of thousands of American veterans seeks 90-day decisions on initial claims for disability benefits, and a 180-day period to resolve appeals of those decisions. If the VA cannot meet these standards, the VVA and VMW are asking for equitable relief in the form of interim benefits, which will provide veterans with a lifeline of support when it is most needed.

Veterans sharing stories of their arduous battles with the VA to receive the benefits to which they are entitled and representing the hundreds of thousands of veterans who are still waiting for resolution on their claims.



WHEN: 10 AM, Wednesday, December 17, 2008



WHERE: U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
333 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001



MORE:

* The VA takes a year or more to deliver initial benefits decisions, and on average, appeals take more than 4 years.
* The VA has a backlog of more than 600,000 benefit claims. This number will increase as the 1.6 million troops that served in Iraq and Afghanistan become eligible for benefits.
* A soldier’s transition to civilian life is challenging. Delayed disability benefit awards create an additional and, in many cases, unmanageable stress for an already suffering population. According to the VA, the suicide rate among individuals in the VA’s care may be as high as 7.5 times the national average, and every night more than 150,000 American veterans are homeless.
* Delays of benefits result in lost homes, lost jobs, broken families and destroyed lives.

http://www.veteransnewsroom.com/

jinks thanks for the link