Noteboom The Law Firm

Veterans’ Appeals Court Facing Backlogged Docket

The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims was established solely for veterans and currently faces a backlog of hundreds of cases.

For the last 20 years, this Court has been hearing veterans' appeals following Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) decisions denying their disability claims. Of all federal appellate courts, the Veterans Court is probably the busiest.

That the court is now facing such an incredible backlog is indicative of the burdens affecting both soldiers and government agencies, which are brought by fighting protracted wars. Every judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims decides more than 600 cases every year. This number is much higher than other federal-level appellate courts.

Veterans with cases in front of the Veterans Claims Court seeking disability payments and/or free health care will likely spend years waiting for resolution. The wait is so long and so frustrating, some have walked away from their appeals. Many died waiting for their appeal to be decided.

As an extreme example, one veteran's claim took 14 years before it was resolved. Seven of those years were spent at the Veterans Claims Court. Some place blame on the Obama administration for failing to submit nominations for the 3 empty seats on the court's bench, though this is not the only factor at play.

There are multiple sources contributing to the backlog of cases, and no one person or agency is to blame. Without assistance, however, the Court will likely become too buried to recover.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.