VA Disability Attorney Mike Woods on why we hire so many experts:
In the over 35 years I have been representing veterans I have often been asked, “why do I hire so many experts?” My answer is this, winning is simple, better witnesses make better cases. The VA will have their experts and you better have yours. In the end, no witnesses mean no case.
Almost every claim involves a dispute as to whether some medical or psychological problem is related to some event in military service. You need a medical doctor, a psychologist, an oncologist, a vocational expert, or some other type of expert to explain why these problems arose as a result of this service.
Some of the cases hinge on expert testimony and analysis, for example, military sexual trauma cases. Let’s say, a female has been assaulted in service, frequently women, years later will have PTSD from these problems. In order to win these cases, we have to have a psychologist look at the veteran’s service treatment records, interview the veteran, and then write a strong report that explains to the judge why the ruling should be in the veteran’s favor.
A Vocational Expert is a person who’s worked with people with disabilities. They indicate what jobs they can or can’t do and explain why. Vocational experts will look at all of your medical records, including all of the C&P exams and write a strong report to explain to the judge why you’re unable to work. In some cases the outcome can be significant, for example, the difference in compensation between a 90% VA rating and Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is $1,000 a month.
The use of experts can be expensive, but we feel it is money well spent.
READ MORE: What VA Disability Benefits Evidence Will I Need?
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