When I first got out of the military, the Texas Veterans Commission filed my VA claims and helped me get to 60%. One thing that was missing from that was my sleep apnea. I knew for a fact that I had it, but I couldn't ever get the military to get me a sleep test and move forward from there. Fast forward a few years, and I got the VA to verify I have sleep apnea and put me on a CPAP. But, they said that since this was after I got out, it wouldn't be service connected. I'm just not accepting of that answer. I tried getting back with the TVC to push for an increase on my disability claim, but I couldn't seem to even track down where to start with them. So then I tried reaching out to the DAV numerous times. I made phone calls, talked to the guys who show up to events - they just seemed overworked/under-motivated. So, against everything I believe in - I reached out to a lawyer group I saw on Facebook.
Vet Comp and Pen had an ad on Facebook talking about they could help vets reach out and get disability for their Sleep Apnea. As you know by now - that caught my attention. I reached out to them, and basically they have their own specialty doctors who do nothing but these types of claims and are very good at what they do (but, I'm still skeptical). As far as payment - if you don't get a percentage increase, you walk away not owing a dime. If you do get a percentage increase, they take half of that increase for your first 10(IIRC) months. Now, sure my first reaction was "What!! F - that! That's my money!", but then I started thinking of it like this - well, I'm really not even getting that money with DAV/TVC, so only half of the percentage increase for the first 10 months is better than no percentage increase at all. Then, for the rest of my life I will be getting that payment. In fact, I've been trying to get this increase to happen for OVER 10 months, so if I would have just gone with Vet Comp and Pen from the start, I would have paid off that 10 months by now and be well into my full payments from the VA. I think the lady I spoke with also said that if the VA ever decides to remove my disability rating for the Sleep Apnea after it's established, they will fight the VA for free to get it reinstated.
So, against my better judgement (which was put in place by people sent from groups like TVC and DAV) I went forward with Vet Comp and Pen. I gotta say - so far, I'm impressed. I gave them my info, and they got a packet that I need to sign and forward to the VA within a week. They even sent me a pre-paid first class shipping envelope that's already labeled to go to the VA. This packet is 28 pages full of supporting evidence for each opinion, as well as a mini-biography of the person who wrote it to provide credibility of the doc. I can tell you one thing - when I had my claims submitted with the TVC, I never saw anything like this.
I gotta say - as big of a skeptic as I was about using any lawyers to increase my disability rating, there may be something to these Vet Comp and Pen guys.
Vet Comp and Pen had an ad on Facebook talking about they could help vets reach out and get disability for their Sleep Apnea. As you know by now - that caught my attention. I reached out to them, and basically they have their own specialty doctors who do nothing but these types of claims and are very good at what they do (but, I'm still skeptical). As far as payment - if you don't get a percentage increase, you walk away not owing a dime. If you do get a percentage increase, they take half of that increase for your first 10(IIRC) months. Now, sure my first reaction was "What!! F - that! That's my money!", but then I started thinking of it like this - well, I'm really not even getting that money with DAV/TVC, so only half of the percentage increase for the first 10 months is better than no percentage increase at all. Then, for the rest of my life I will be getting that payment. In fact, I've been trying to get this increase to happen for OVER 10 months, so if I would have just gone with Vet Comp and Pen from the start, I would have paid off that 10 months by now and be well into my full payments from the VA. I think the lady I spoke with also said that if the VA ever decides to remove my disability rating for the Sleep Apnea after it's established, they will fight the VA for free to get it reinstated.
So, against my better judgement (which was put in place by people sent from groups like TVC and DAV) I went forward with Vet Comp and Pen. I gotta say - so far, I'm impressed. I gave them my info, and they got a packet that I need to sign and forward to the VA within a week. They even sent me a pre-paid first class shipping envelope that's already labeled to go to the VA. This packet is 28 pages full of supporting evidence for each opinion, as well as a mini-biography of the person who wrote it to provide credibility of the doc. I can tell you one thing - when I had my claims submitted with the TVC, I never saw anything like this.
I gotta say - as big of a skeptic as I was about using any lawyers to increase my disability rating, there may be something to these Vet Comp and Pen guys.