Caring. Effective. Efficient.

» Judge Amanda L. Meredith

Does the VA Duty to Assist require giving to veterans a copy of their C&P opinions?

One of our clients’ cases, Martinez v. Wilkie, No 17-1551, was recently set for a panel decision by the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC).We are not yet sure if there will be supplemental briefing or oral argument at this time. I… Read More
January 17th, 2019
Contributor: Chris Attig
Read More
Categories: Legal Updates, VA Advocacy Skills
Tags: 2019 Panel, 38 U.S.C. §5103A, Duty to Assist, Jessica Grunberg, Judge Amanda L. Meredith, Judge Joseph L. Falvey Jr., Judge Joseph L. Toth, Morgan & Morgan, Stacey Clark

Monday Morning Coffee with Chris: Do THIS when you get back from a Legal Conference.

    What to do when you get back from a Legal Conference? I just returned home from a multi-day legal conference: this time the Fall Conference for the National Organization for Veterans Advocates (NOVA) in Washington, D.C. Here’s what IR… Read More
October 22nd, 2018
Contributor: Chris Attig
Read More
Categories: Monday Morning Coffee with Chris
Tags: 2018 CAVC Oral Arguments, Anxious Lawyer, Barton F. Stichman, Caitlin S. Milo, Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), Headspace, Hire Slow Fire Fast, Judge Amanda L. Meredith, Judge Margaret Bartley, Judge Mary J. Schoelen, Julia A. Turner, NDSS, Next Lawyer Up, NOVA, NVLSP, Speigner v Wilkie #16-2811

Episode 006: CAVC Oral Argument: Atencio v. Wilkie, 16-1561 (April 26, 2018)(Gulf War Syndrome presumptions and GERD)

What the ‘MUCMI’ is going on with GERD? PREVIEW OF THE CASE: General Overview of the Medicine Some terms you will hear in this argument: GERD is Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disorder. GERD can often – but not always -result from a dysfu… Read More
April 27th, 2018
Contributor: Chris Attig
Read More
Categories: CAVC Oral Argument, Podcast
Tags: 2018 CAVC Oral Arguments, 38 CFR 3.317, 38 USC 1117, 38 USC 1118, Alexandra Lio, Auer v. Robbins 519 U.S. 452 (1997), Catherine D. Vel, CCK, Chief Judge Robert N. Davis, Christian A. McTarnaghan, Denver CO VARO, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD), Gulf War Syndrome, Judge Amanda L. Meredith, Judge Michael Allen, Medically Unexplained Chronic Multisymptom Illness (MUCMI), Michelle L. Kane, podcast, presumption of service connection

Case Review: 16-4086, Emerson v. Shulkin (PTSD Rating)

What is the Deep Issue in the Case? When establishing a PTSD rating, the Board of Veterans Appeals is required to  “engage in a holistic analysis” of a veteran’s mental health symptoms to determine the proper disability percnetage.… Read More
January 8th, 2018
Contributor: Chris Attig
Read More
Categories: Legal Updates
Tags: 38 CFR 4.130, Bankhead, CCK, Disabled American Veteran (DAV), inadequate reasons and bases, J.W. Zissimos, Judge Amanda L. Meredith, Kaitlyn C. Degnan, Little Rock AR VARO, Monique A.S. Allen, ptsd, ptsd rating, rating

Case Review: 16-1624, Crawley v. Shulkin (Inadequate BVA Reasoning)

  What is the Deep Issue in the Case? Because a medical exam opinion addresses issues of material fact, the BVA must provide a statement of the reasons or bases for its determination that is “adequate to enable a claimant to understand the pre… Read More
December 14th, 2017
Read More
Categories: Legal Updates
Tags: Allday, Deanne L. Bonner Simpson, H. Seesel, inadequate reasons and bases, Judge Amanda L. Meredith, Mark Vichich, St. Petersburg FL VARO

Recent Cases

Client Win: #17-3247, Goodman v. Wilkie (Service connection for arthritis, continuity of symptomatology)
This case involves a veteran’s appeal to the BVA seeking service connection for arthritis.  The veteran served in the US Air Force from 2005 to 2006. He injured his knee and other parts of his body when required to move heavy appliances into a… Read More
Client Win: 17-2891, Halsey v. Shulkin (Survivors Accrued Benefits)
Attorney Chris Attig has been working with this veteran’s survivor for half a decade to get her DIC and survivor’s accrued benefits properly awarded.  The veteran was a 3 decade military veteran, who fought not only in Thailand during th… Read More
Client Win: 17-2072, Hunt v. Wilkie (BVA Credibility finding, Knee Rating)
  This case involves the BVA’s rating of a veteran’s service connected knee injury and a BVA credibility finding; our client appealed the BVA’s decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claim (CAVC). The appeal was res… Read More

See More Appellate Results

VA Form 21 Blog

Jan
17
Does the VA Duty to Assist require giving to veterans a copy of their C&P opinions?
January 17th, 2019
One of our clients’ cases, Martinez v. Wilkie, No 17-1551, was recently set for a panel decision by the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC).We are not yet sure if there will be supplemental briefing or oral argument at this time. I… Read More
Nov
26
Coffee w/Chris: Is there enough air in your law firm's tires? (11-19-2018)
November 26th, 2018
Today’s video starts off with an overview of a recent precedential decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in the case of Moody v. Wilkie, Cause No. 16-1707. Click here to read the CAVC’s panel decision in Moody v. Wi… Read More

Read the VA Form 21 Blog