Paul Russell Parker III talks to Veterans about Veterans Service Officers (VSO) and why they might utilize their services when submitting a VA disability claim. PRP3 The Author Media
Update, the VA Law Judge ruled in my favor. The VA rater made a clear and unmistakable error in severing service connection. My secondary service connected disability was reinstated and my rating was raised back to 100%.
I used a VSO from my county. I filed for hearing loss, tinnitus from loading guns in Vietnam, and Ischemic heart disease from agent orange exposure. All three were denied. I appealed all three with a VSO, and I was approved for 60% for Ischemic heart disease, 30% hearing loss, and 10% tinnitus. After VA math I have 80% disability. The VSO messed up on my denied claims because the wrong forms, and errors. The VSO made corrections of mistakes and forms on the appeals, and I won. Now I'm filing for TDIU, and using a law firm to represent me. I was afraid to take a chance on more mistakes with the VSO. It's very important to get this correct, and I'm very happy with their help so far.
I used one of the VSOs in the San Diego area and he was instrumental in my claim getting processed correctly and fast. I got 100% P&T about 4 months after retirement.
Which VSO in SD di you use? I want to refile or amend my claim. I used the VFW until they closed their office at the VA outpatient clinic in Mission Valley. Before they left, they helped increase my rating(s) by 20%. After they left, I contacted the DAV about my back problem. They said they would check into it, and give me a call. I received a call from a young boy who sounded like he was still in high school and he said he didnt think my claim was compensatable and would turn the paperwork over to his boss and i would hear from his boss as soon as his boss reviewed my claim and medical record. I never heard back from them. So, can you please tell me which VSO did you use? I was even hesitant to use the DAV because one of my friends did, and after he used them, they lowered his rating by 10%. Thank you very much for your reply.
Paul, thanks for sharing your story. It is really frustrating to hear how much you had to go through to get a VA Law Judge to confirm your claim. Many of us give up and especially vets with PTSD that get 'aggravated' by the interactions and having to beg. I will reach out to a VSO after hearing your story.
Please do so. Sometimes you can do it all right, and still won't get something service connected that should be. A VSO could help. They might also not be able to, so see another if you have to. I completely understand about the giving up or having PTSD and getting aggravated because of the interactions. I was originally service connected in 2004. I had nothing but negative interactions with the VA in that time up until 2007. I also had a disability downgraded down to 0% at that time. It got to the point where I was done with the VA, and I didn't go back to the VA from 2007 until 2018. Even with all of that elapsed time, I still didn't want to have to deal with the VA again. But I did, and it worked out. I hope it works out for you and all of the other Vets that ran into the same issues as we did.
I totally understand and agree with you. It's very wrong that as Veterans. We have to basically beg as if we are criminals begging for parole or something. We served our country faithfully and with pride. Just to have a group of civilians say thank you for your service and we are here to help you but sorry your not getting anything... But hang in there and don't quit.
I didn’t use any vso, the few I contacted were given the wrong or obsoleted information, guess it was my bad luck, I ended up did everything by my self, and got 100 p&t.
No problem brother. It never hurts to get another set of eyes on something. Also, keep in mind that they're all different. If you don't find a good one, you can look for another. Ask Vets in your area and see if there's a particular VSO people highly recommend
Everyone that is not experienced should at least have a VSO to look at your claim. Veterans law is complicated and even if you are an attorney, if this is not your area, you should still see a VSO. We have had many Judges come to us for help. The biggest point that Mr. Parker makes, if you do it yourself and win, you are probably not going to know if the award you got is correct for your disability. If you go through a VSO your award be be reviewed by an experienced VSO.
A lot of VSO'S just throw claims out there to see what will stick.They need to make sure you already have a diagnosis for what you are claiming.You need current symptoms for the problem you are claiming.You need a nexus letter from a doctor, connecting your medical condition to your service.You need buddy letters, personal statements, IMO (independent medical opinion) etc.You need to be familiar with 38 CFR part 4 which is VBA law for rating purposes IF your VSO tells you these things he/she is probably a good one, if not move on!! The best advice I can give you is to educate yourself on the process.The first thing you want to do is get your intent to file date.Take your time and do it right the first time. You have a year from your intent to file date to get everything together and completed. Order your complete "C" file right away. Good luck.
David this is so true. The two VSO's I had just listed conditions and did not tell me to have buddy letters, personal statements, current treatment records, etc.. I did get 100% after doing my claims.
I used my county state VSO who also happened to be a friend. 6 months ago he applied for me for service connected tinnitus which was granted in a couple weeks after my exam. I recently applied for migraines and also anxiety and depression secondary to my tinnitus. It's currently with the VA and waiting for their decision or more likely an c & p exam.
I used a VSO, when you go for a C&P exam, that’s when you can rate your VSO. Let the examiner know that the VSO did or did not inform you. The examiner will make note on your claim about VSO not informing you. “Some…again some” VSO should know lawyer that do pro-bono to help vet’s
I think for your initial claim you should use a VSO. From that point on you should do your own research and submit your own claims. That’s what I did and went from 70% to 80% and finally to 90% TDIU P&T which is the same as 100%. My advice for anyone applying for TDIU is to seek out a vocational expert and have them complete a vocational evaluation using your C-File. If the result of that evaluation is favorable then submit their report to the VA because it’s very compelling evidence.
Same situation I had no idea the army and VA screwed me with my first rating. No one tells you what to do at all. It took my nurse practitioner to tell me I was being screwed.
It happens way more often that people think. It's a shame too, because that means that there's untold number of Vet's out there who will never get the proper rating that they're entitled to.
@@PaulRussellParkerIII True! I had been going to the V.A. Hospital for over 30 years for Treatments and I used VSO's to handle my Claims and got DENIED over 5 Times! Even my V.A. Social Worker told me that they Owe me Money so I Hired a V.A. accredited Law Firm and got my 100% Service Connection Plus! HIRE A LAWYER!!!
Whatever you do, give up “powering through” any issues you developed or you think were exacerbated by military service. It’s a bad habit you probably acquired in the service and it won’t serve you well in the long run, especially dealing with this situation right here!
Using a VSO is a crap shoot... I've seen too many that don't really give a shit. I had 2 that I call " company men"... They care more for the VA than the veteran
My actual experience is that SOME VSO's are really good. But for my case I had to lawyer up & that boosted my rating up to where it should be & where it is now. You know what you have for Military Service Records so sometimes you really have to make that decision for yourself, weigh the gains versus the risk, as the VA can lower or TAKE AWAY your rating/ratings altogether if those particular ratings are less than 10 years old. After 10 years than can legally ONLY LOWER or RAISE that rating which has been in effect for over 10 years
Hey Paul why do you say they cannot put in for an NOD anymore? Is that something that the VA got rid of? Also do you know if VSO has power of attorney over other items or personal things besides just your VA claim? Like like Financial or banking info? Concerned about theft you know. Thx. P s...plz make a playlist for your VA claims info! It will make them easier to find.👍👍👍 Thx buddy!
I was told that the NOD went away because the VA went to the new review process. You can only use a NOD for legacy appeals, appeals submitted before sometime in 2019. They detail more about it here: www.va.gov/decision-reviews/legacy-appeals/ I don't believe the VSO has overall power of attorney. If I remember correctly, the power of attorney form didn't even have to be notarized. We just filled it out on the VSO's computer. It granted them access to my VA and non VA medical records, allowed them to initiate my claim, and allowed them to see my claim results. Looking back at it, they may have more financial access than they let on, because they can see all of your VA records which includes your direct deposit info. You probably have to make sure that the VSO you use is above board. Thanks man, you're right, I need to make a playlist. I plan on making more vids on other VA Disability topics and I want to have them easily accessible
From my experience, it took almost 8 years when I used a VSO and still got nowhere except for some crazy appeal process where the VA closed my case without me knowing until 3 months later. When I used a legal service, it took like 3 months to get service connected. You only pay if they win.
@@Dangling_Carrot He did me a solid. The Attorneys took me to the CAVC. That's the only place that could undo the monstrosity of a decision I got from the BVA. That decision looked like it was written by the writers at SNL.
The VSO I've used in NH was less than useless. Coordinated with a few in a liberal cesspool of a state that had been as equally effective. I don't dare to hope that changes any but I'd like to see a few results before I give up. The VA (and their state equivalent) is a pathetic excuse of a bureaucracy designed to grind the veteran down until they give up or die.
VSO are not good for complicated cases. They often don't know the complexity of VA law and regulations. They often handle simple to prove claims. Get a proper trained VA lawyer or military service knowledgeable lawyer
The VA almost makes it impossible. At this point, you need to start looking at secondary service connected disabilities. You have PTSD, Sleep Apnea, right knee injury, right ankle injury, back, and high blood pressure service connected? Do any of those service connected disabilities cause secondary disabilities that you are currently having? Also, look at the medications that you're taking for the service connected disabilities that you have, what are the side effects? An online search will tell you what the side effects are. Do you have any of those side effects and are you being treated for any of those side effects? Make a list of other conditions that you have because of your primary service connected disabilities and talk to a VSO. Make sure you get seen by your primary care provider and have any of the new conditions that were created and or aggravated by your service connected disabilities documented if they haven't already been. Your service connected disabilities can cause conditions like Migraines, IBS, nerve pain, etc. If any condition arises from your service connected disabilities, you must claim them. It looks like your right leg is probably in pain a lot, does it affect how you walk, therefore affecting your hip or opposite leg? Does it effect your nerves in your leg or even in your lower back, causing pain? Does the medication you take for your blood pressure give you headaches or affect your ability to reproduce? High blood pressure also leads to other conditions that you can get secondary connected. Also, a secondary service connected disability doesn't need to be caused by one of your primary's, but it can be made worse by/aggravated by one. If you have high blood pressure but also kidney issues, the high blood pressure could be making the kidney issues worse. Or you may have left knee pain that's unrelated to your military service, but since you have right leg knee and ankle problems, it might make your left knee pain worse. Because you have to adjust your gait or how you walk/lean to take the pressure off of your right leg.
VSO's, VA Claims Agents, and VA Lawyers are all viable options, depending on the needs of the claim. I say, take it as a case by case scenario. If you need a lot of help, and you don't mind paying, go through that path.
@@randywolbert5443 Agreed!! Mine got me raised from 50% to 80%. I could have gotten 100% TDIU, I just wasn't really ready for that yet personally, as strange as that sounds
![ARGENTINA vs. CHILE [3-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 7](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/De3AWmXzhuA/mqdefault.jpg)
Update, the VA Law Judge ruled in my favor. The VA rater made a clear and unmistakable error in severing service connection. My secondary service connected disability was reinstated and my rating was raised back to 100%.
I used a VSO from my county. I filed for hearing loss, tinnitus from loading guns in Vietnam, and Ischemic heart disease from agent orange exposure. All three were denied. I appealed all three with a VSO, and I was approved for 60% for Ischemic heart disease, 30% hearing loss, and 10% tinnitus. After VA math I have 80% disability. The VSO messed up on my denied claims because the wrong forms, and errors. The VSO made corrections of mistakes and forms on the appeals, and I won.
Now I'm filing for TDIU, and using a law firm to represent me. I was afraid to take a chance on more mistakes with the VSO. It's very important to get this correct, and I'm very happy with their help so far.
I got TDIU by myself.
🙏 my father passed away from cancers caused by agent Orange poisoning. I hope you get your rating!
So pay for the service
I used one of the VSOs in the San Diego area and he was instrumental in my claim getting processed correctly and fast. I got 100% P&T about 4 months after retirement.
Which VSO in SD di you use? I want to refile or amend my claim. I used the VFW until they closed their office at the VA outpatient clinic in Mission Valley. Before they left, they helped increase my rating(s) by 20%. After they left, I contacted the DAV about my back problem. They said they would check into it, and give me a call. I received a call from a young boy who sounded like he was still in high school and he said he didnt think my claim was compensatable and would turn the paperwork over to his boss and i would hear from his boss as soon as his boss reviewed my claim and medical record. I never heard back from them. So, can you please tell me which VSO did you use? I was even hesitant to use the DAV because one of my friends did, and after he used them, they lowered his rating by 10%. Thank you very much for your reply.
Paul, thanks for sharing your story. It is really frustrating to hear how much you had to go through to get a VA Law Judge to confirm your claim. Many of us give up and especially vets with PTSD that get 'aggravated' by the interactions and having to beg.
I will reach out to a VSO after hearing your story.
Please do so. Sometimes you can do it all right, and still won't get something service connected that should be. A VSO could help. They might also not be able to, so see another if you have to.
I completely understand about the giving up or having PTSD and getting aggravated because of the interactions. I was originally service connected in 2004. I had nothing but negative interactions with the VA in that time up until 2007. I also had a disability downgraded down to 0% at that time. It got to the point where I was done with the VA, and I didn't go back to the VA from 2007 until 2018. Even with all of that elapsed time, I still didn't want to have to deal with the VA again. But I did, and it worked out. I hope it works out for you and all of the other Vets that ran into the same issues as we did.
I totally understand and agree with you. It's very wrong that as Veterans. We have to basically beg as if we are criminals begging for parole or something. We served our country faithfully and with pride. Just to have a group of civilians say thank you for your service and we are here to help you but sorry your not getting anything... But hang in there and don't quit.
I didn’t use any vso, the few I contacted were given the wrong or obsoleted information, guess it was my bad luck, I ended up did everything by my self, and got 100 p&t.
Same with me.
Same here
guess, I will file my own. literally looking for a VSO right now
Thanks Brother. I’ll go straight to a VSO on Monday.
No problem brother. It never hurts to get another set of eyes on something. Also, keep in mind that they're all different. If you don't find a good one, you can look for another. Ask Vets in your area and see if there's a particular VSO people highly recommend
Thank you sir.
Thanks for the information.
Everyone that is not experienced should at least have a VSO to look at your claim. Veterans law is complicated and even if you are an attorney, if this is not your area, you should still see a VSO. We have had many Judges come to us for help. The biggest point that Mr. Parker makes, if you do it yourself and win, you are probably not going to know if the award you got is correct for your disability. If you go through a VSO your award be be reviewed by an experienced VSO.
Thanks. It never hurts to have an experienced professional look at your case.
A lot of VSO'S just throw claims out there to see what will stick.They need to make sure you already have a diagnosis for what you are claiming.You need current symptoms for the problem you are claiming.You need a nexus letter from a doctor, connecting your medical condition to your service.You need buddy letters, personal statements, IMO (independent medical opinion) etc.You need to be familiar with 38 CFR part 4 which is VBA law for rating purposes IF your VSO tells you these things he/she is probably a good one, if not move on!! The best advice I can give you is to educate yourself on the process.The first thing you want to do is get your intent to file date.Take your time and do it right the first time. You have a year from your intent to file date to get everything together and completed. Order your complete "C" file right away. Good luck.
David this is so true. The two VSO's I had just listed conditions and did not tell me to have buddy letters, personal statements, current treatment records, etc.. I did get 100% after doing my claims.
@Ed Bard Congratulations on your 100 %!!
VSO’s are good…. But always remember, nobody cares more about your claims than you do. I never used a VSO and got 100%.
I used my county state VSO who also happened to be a friend. 6 months ago he applied for me for service connected tinnitus which was granted in a couple weeks after my exam. I recently applied for migraines and also anxiety and depression secondary to my tinnitus. It's currently with the VA and waiting for their decision or more likely an c & p exam.
American Legion or Veteran of Foreign wars should be use first, then VSO recommended by either above organization.👍
Thanks PRP3
I used a VSO, when you go for a C&P exam, that’s when you can rate your VSO. Let the examiner know that the VSO did or did not inform you. The examiner will make note on your claim about VSO not informing you.
“Some…again some” VSO should know lawyer that do pro-bono to help vet’s
I think for your initial claim you should use a VSO. From that point on you should do your own research and submit your own claims. That’s what I did and went from 70% to 80% and finally to 90% TDIU P&T which is the same as 100%. My advice for anyone applying for TDIU is to seek out a vocational expert and have them complete a vocational evaluation using your C-File. If the result of that evaluation is favorable then submit their report to the VA because it’s very compelling evidence.
Same situation I had no idea the army and VA screwed me with my first rating. No one tells you what to do at all. It took my nurse practitioner to tell me I was being screwed.
It happens way more often that people think. It's a shame too, because that means that there's untold number of Vet's out there who will never get the proper rating that they're entitled to.
@@PaulRussellParkerIII True! I had been going to the V.A. Hospital for over 30 years for Treatments and I used VSO's to handle my Claims and got DENIED over 5 Times! Even my V.A. Social Worker told me that they Owe me Money so I Hired a V.A. accredited Law Firm and got my 100% Service Connection Plus!
HIRE A LAWYER!!!
Whatever you do, give up “powering through” any issues you developed or you think were exacerbated by military service. It’s a bad habit you probably acquired in the service and it won’t serve you well in the long run, especially dealing with this situation right here!
what happens when there is no record of an event and 2 people involved are deceased. ie happened in basic training in 1967?
Using a VSO is a crap shoot... I've seen too many that don't really give a shit. I had 2 that I call " company men"... They care more for the VA than the veteran
Thanks
Service Officers can cut through a lot of burearacy.
Absolutely
My actual experience is that SOME VSO's are really good. But for my case I had to lawyer up & that boosted my rating up to where it should be & where it is now. You know what you have for Military Service Records so sometimes you really have to make that decision for yourself, weigh the gains versus the risk, as the VA can lower or TAKE AWAY your rating/ratings altogether if those particular ratings are less than 10 years old. After 10 years than can legally ONLY LOWER or RAISE that rating which has been in effect for over 10 years
I didn't use VSO. Some are dirty others are lazy. Sure it took me 16 yrs but I kept going now I'm 100 p&t
Hey Paul why do you say they cannot put in for an NOD anymore? Is that something that the VA got rid of?
Also do you know if VSO has power of attorney over other items or personal things besides just your VA claim? Like like Financial or banking info? Concerned about theft you know.
Thx.
P s...plz make a playlist for your VA claims info! It will make them easier to find.👍👍👍
Thx buddy!
I was told that the NOD went away because the VA went to the new review process. You can only use a NOD for legacy appeals, appeals submitted before sometime in 2019. They detail more about it here: www.va.gov/decision-reviews/legacy-appeals/
I don't believe the VSO has overall power of attorney. If I remember correctly, the power of attorney form didn't even have to be notarized. We just filled it out on the VSO's computer. It granted them access to my VA and non VA medical records, allowed them to initiate my claim, and allowed them to see my claim results. Looking back at it, they may have more financial access than they let on, because they can see all of your VA records which includes your direct deposit info. You probably have to make sure that the VSO you use is above board.
Thanks man, you're right, I need to make a playlist. I plan on making more vids on other VA Disability topics and I want to have them easily accessible
From my experience, it took almost 8 years when I used a VSO and still got nowhere except for some crazy appeal process where the VA closed my case without me knowing until 3 months later. When I used a legal service, it took like 3 months to get service connected. You only pay if they win.
I was going to use a legal service to stop the severance of my service connected disability if the VSO appeal didn't work.
What kind of lawyer ?
@@ranyen482 I went to Veterans benefits guide. They're based in Las Vegas.
yes and yes
Never they’re not qualified to help a veteran Across The Street let alone file a claim.
I did myself and I got zero%. I live in jacksonville, FL..Any good suggestions for pro best VSO?
My DAV guy sent me to the lawyers. He was solid.
Cause he had no clue what to do for you. He did you wrong.
@@Dangling_Carrot He did me a solid. The Attorneys took me to the CAVC. That's the only place that could undo the monstrosity of a decision I got from the BVA. That decision looked like it was written by the writers at SNL.
The VSO I've used in NH was less than useless. Coordinated with a few in a liberal cesspool of a state that had been as equally effective. I don't dare to hope that changes any but I'd like to see a few results before I give up. The VA (and their state equivalent) is a pathetic excuse of a bureaucracy designed to grind the veteran down until they give up or die.
No, plenty of help online.
VSO are not good for complicated cases. They often don't know the complexity of VA law and regulations. They often handle simple to prove claims. Get a proper trained VA lawyer or military service knowledgeable lawyer
Can I still be in the reserves and have va disability I just got out of active duty
I would contact your reserves recruiter, but from what I've heard in the past is it depends on the percentage, severity, and type of disability.
I have a VSO northern California. He doesnt answer his emails does not return calls......who even cares anymore?
Hell no !!!!! DVA does not know their ass from the hole in the ground.
VSO don't want to help veteran NO They should NOT
Vso in Idaho are not good!!!
No.
It's a case by case scenario. I've had success without them, but I've had success with their assistance as well.
I have 90%...70% PTSD, 50% Sleep Apena , 20% RT Knee OSTO, 10% Rt Ankle broken, 10% back, 10% HBP, ,, How in the world can i get a 100 percent?
The VA almost makes it impossible. At this point, you need to start looking at secondary service connected disabilities. You have PTSD, Sleep Apnea, right knee injury, right ankle injury, back, and high blood pressure service connected?
Do any of those service connected disabilities cause secondary disabilities that you are currently having? Also, look at the medications that you're taking for the service connected disabilities that you have, what are the side effects? An online search will tell you what the side effects are. Do you have any of those side effects and are you being treated for any of those side effects? Make a list of other conditions that you have because of your primary service connected disabilities and talk to a VSO. Make sure you get seen by your primary care provider and have any of the new conditions that were created and or aggravated by your service connected disabilities documented if they haven't already been.
Your service connected disabilities can cause conditions like Migraines, IBS, nerve pain, etc. If any condition arises from your service connected disabilities, you must claim them. It looks like your right leg is probably in pain a lot, does it affect how you walk, therefore affecting your hip or opposite leg? Does it effect your nerves in your leg or even in your lower back, causing pain? Does the medication you take for your blood pressure give you headaches or affect your ability to reproduce? High blood pressure also leads to other conditions that you can get secondary connected.
Also, a secondary service connected disability doesn't need to be caused by one of your primary's, but it can be made worse by/aggravated by one. If you have high blood pressure but also kidney issues, the high blood pressure could be making the kidney issues worse. Or you may have left knee pain that's unrelated to your military service, but since you have right leg knee and ankle problems, it might make your left knee pain worse. Because you have to adjust your gait or how you walk/lean to take the pressure off of your right leg.
Get 50% for Migraines and you're in there.
@@jayking38 Agreed.
How did you get 50% sleep apnea i was given a cpap machine after my original test
@@paulmileski819 I got my 50% because I had a test done while I was active duty which ended up at 50 with a CPAP..
no vso suck get a lawyer i can turn you on to some really really good va lawyers.
VSO's, VA Claims Agents, and VA Lawyers are all viable options, depending on the needs of the claim. I say, take it as a case by case scenario. If you need a lot of help, and you don't mind paying, go through that path.
@@PaulRussellParkerIII a lawyer is best way to go they only get 20 percent of your back pay
@@randywolbert5443 Agreed!! Mine got me raised from 50% to 80%. I could have gotten 100% TDIU, I just wasn't really ready for that yet personally, as strange as that sounds
Hey Randy... let me know of a way to contact you! Thx. 👍
Can i get that info ?