VCS Vows to Win Landmark Court Case for Veterans

Veterans for Common Sense responds to new development in landmark case

November 17, 2011, Washington, DC – There is an important new development in our landmark case against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals announced it will hear oral arguments before an 11-judge panel next month in our landmark case filed by Veterans for Common Sense (VCS) and Veterans United for Truth (VUFT) against VA in July 2007. VCS and VUFT sued VA because of long delays veterans faced obtaining VA disability compensation benefits and VA healthcare, especially treatment for post traumatic stress disorder. In a huge victory for our veterans, last May a three judge Court of Appeals panel ruled in favor of VCS and VUFT, saying the long delays violated veterans’ constitutional due process rights. Every day 18 veterans complete suicide, the Court of Appeals found. According to recent VA reports, more than 850,000 veterans are now waiting, on average, five months for a VA claim decision. An additional 250,000 veterans are waiting four more years for VA to decide their appealed claim.

“With our expert legal team from Morrison & Foerster and Disability Rights Advocates, VCS will continue the fight to win this very important case, so that our nation’s veterans receive the prompt and high-quality medical care and benefits they have earned and need for their future.” said VCS Executive Director Patrick Bellon. VA delays will worsen as troops come home and leave the service unless something is done. Reform is the only option. On October 21, 2011, President Barack Obama announced end the Iraq War by the end of 2011 and bring our troops home, foreshadowing a surge of hundreds of thousands of additional, new veteran patients flooding into VA medical facilities and filing disability claims.Learn more about the landmark VCS – VUFT case:May 10, 2011, Court of Appeals decision:

 

August 21, 2011, New York Times editorial:

https://veteransforcommonsense.org/index.php/veterans-category-articles/2485-nytimes

http://www.veteransptsdclassaction.org/2011-05-10_9th_Circuit_decision.pdf

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