News Room
NVLSP Press Releases
NVLSP and Its Private Law Firm Partner Persuade the Federal Circuit to Overturn 19-Year Precedent
In a sweeping legal victory for veterans, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit overturned a 19-year lower court precedent which prohibited the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from awarding disability benefits to a veteran for disabling pain if it was not linked to a medical diagnosis. “What this ruling means is that if a physician cannot diagnose the cause of the pain the veteran is experiencing, but the pain is related to an event, injury, or disease that occurred during the veteran’s military service, the veteran should now win disability benefits,” said Bart Stichman, executive director and co-founder of NVLSP and one of the attorneys who represented the veteran in the case. [more]
Released 4/4/18 | Tags: Class Actions
Combat veterans are being notified by the Department of Defense
Due to the role of National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) in helping to pass the Combat-injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act of 2016, the Department of Defense (DoD) is informing more than 130,000 wounded warriors they are eligible for tax refunds. [more]
Released 3/19/18 | Tags: Congressional Legislation
Academy of United States Veterans Presents the Veterans Community Award to NVLSP at Third Annual Veterans Awards FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 20, 2018 WASHINGTON: The Academy of United States Veterans (AUSV) is presenting the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) with the Veterans … [more]
Released 1/20/18 | Tags:
VA Finalizes Rule Requiring Payments on as many as 748,000 Claims for Reimbursement of Non-VA Emergency Medical Expenses Under NVLSP’s Court Victory in Staab
VA Finalizes Rule Requiring Payments on as many as 748,000 Claims for Reimbursement of Non-VA Emergency Medical Expenses Under NVLSP’s Court Victory in Staab The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) finalized a rule on January 9th that requires the VA to reimburse veterans for non-VA … [more]
Released 1/17/18 | Tags:
First of its kind app helps veterans determine specific VA benefits
NVLSP Launches Free Mobile and Web Based App to Assist Military Veterans and Advocates with Potential VA Benefits Claims First of its kind app helps veterans determine specific VA benefits FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 14, 2017 WASHINGTON – National Veterans Legal Services Program … [more]
Released 12/14/17 | Tags: Veteran's Benefits
Ninth annual benefit breaks fundraising records, supports advocacy for disability benefits
NVLSP Raises More than Half a Million Dollars for Pro-Bono Legal Aid for Veterans & Their Families Ninth annual benefit breaks fundraising records, supports advocacy for disability benefits FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 28, 2017 PHOTOS AVAILABLE Washington – A record … [more]
Released 12/11/17 | Tags:
Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims ruling will stand, NVLSP offers advice for veterans with prior denials for emergency medical care reimbursement
NVLSP has won $2 billion for hundreds of thousands of veterans who received emergency medical care outside the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and were wrongfully denied reimbursement by the VA for the emergency medical expenses they incurred. In a congressional hearing on Wednesday, June 14, 2017, VA Secretary David Shulkin announced that the VA would “voluntarily withdraw” its appeal in the legal case, Staab v. Shulkin, that required VA to reimburse these veterans. [more]
Released 6/16/17 | Tags: Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Veteran's Benefits
Testimony of NVLSP
The Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act provide a far-reaching restructuring of the VA administrative appeals process. It contains many positive features that are likely to decrease appeal times, while providing claimants with various options for pursuing their appeals. As with any substantial change to a complex system, there will clearly be effects that we cannot now predict. But given that the current appeals process is not functioning well, we have ultimately concluded that the proposed legislation - even without being able to predict all of its effects - is a necessary step. However, NVLSP opposes some of the substantive changes to the draft bill that VA is seeking under the guise of "technical amendments." [more]
Released 4/28/17 | Tags: Board of Veterans' Appeals, Congressional Legislation
Veterans who served in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan potentially impacted
The National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) filed a class action lawsuit today against the federal government on behalf of combat-disabled veterans who were shortchanged on their disability benefits by an unlawful and nationwide government policy. [more]
Released 3/2/17 | Tags: Class Actions
NVLSP estimates 13,800 veterans were denied $78 million in severance pay when wrongfully taxed
On December 16, 2016, President Obama signed into law legislation to ensure that veterans who suffer service-ending combat-related injuries are not taxed on the severance payment they receive from the Department of Defense (DOD). The Combat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act of 2016 directs DOD to identify veterans who have been separated from service for combat-related injuries and received a severance payment that was improperly taxed by the federal government. It instructs DOD to determine how much the combat-wounded veterans are owed and allow veterans who have been improperly taxed to recover the withheld amounts. [more]
Released 12/19/16 | Tags: Congressional Legislation