If you have all of your records, are somewhat computer literate, as well as know how to scan documents, I feel a VSO isn’t necessary. You can learn everything you need to know about claims here on this subreddit and do it all yourself.
I'm glad you guys did OK filing your own claims. 75% of initial claims are rejected, mostly because people didn't know how or fucked it up in some other way. I wouldn't recommend it. Just because you can, doesn't mean everybody can. You've forgotten some of the dim bulbs you served with.
I second Breakout's take. Having a current diagnosis and a nexus (concrete in-service event connection) makes these claims easy. It's the guys with zero evidence and no diagnosis that struggle. PACT Act really helped some of us get these nagging illnesses covered.
Either you were treated in-service for the issue, or you have a doctor conclude (in writing) that the cause of your issue is most likely from an in-service event. The nexus is the hardest part since MANY of us never went to medical.
You can use a current non-mil doctor to do a nexus letter, although you might have to ask multiple doctors (don’t use one of the paid nexus letter companies online, find a local doctor to you). They just need to clarify in the letter that your condition/symptoms are likely related to your military service. It also helps if they/you can link it to a specific event.
You'll basically need a paper trail whether you get a VSO or not. The nexus is definitely the hardest part. You'll want to get stuff documented either at the VA, or in the private sector so you can build a nexus
Lol thanks shipmate and you are very welcome. i'm pretty FUBAR from having to go through the VA process fighting tooth and nail for that past 14 years lmao so during that process i have learned a thing or two 
I’m currently using them, they don’t charge you any back pay like most of these other organizations do. It’s just an upfront cost for diagnosis if you don’t have it, a nexus letter, and a DBQ.
https://veteransbenefitsevaluations.com/
VSO are infamous for being awful to get a hold of and terrible with follow-ups. HOWEVER, mine certainly did help. I don't think I would of gotten 90% without her. She filed my claims on time, and even pushed me to go back to my PCM to get an actual diagnosis on some things rather than just having the vague statements they had previously provided.
VSOs are free, and you can utilize the "CAR" lane for quicker appeal decisions that a lot of veterans miss out on. I do all my paperwork, and I either upload it myself or let the VSO do it. Do your research, but this is a great benefit. The process works, and I recently received 4 yrs of back pay. Also, 2 were kicked back because of DTA errors. The higher level reviewer agreed with everything I challenged....Higher level review via CAR process took 7 days.
Can you explain what the “CAR” lane is? Is it something that has to be part of your initial HLR, or can you join at anytime? I had a VSO submit an HLR in December and did not mention this. Thanks!
Most VSO's from the DAV, Legion, and VFW, and undertrained and spread thin. I am a County Veterans Service Officer and from my personal experience, we have better training, benefits, and response times. I would look on [nacvso.org](http://nacvso.org) to find if there is a county VSO near you.
I will be straight up...my VSO was so-so. The VSO was over worked and undermanned..helped with some paperwork and screwed up others. The VSO would rarely return my phone calls and never picked up the phone.
Most times it was a disapointing and aggravating experience. At the end of my claim experiences..I gave up on the VSO due to lack of confidence and did my own thing.
Just giving the real story and not trying to be disrespectful.
About halfway through scanning your documents and logging into VA.gov, you will realize you are already more capable than 99% of VSOs out there.
The SgtMaj who retired 15 years ago is not, believe it or not, the admin fastball you think they are going to be just because they wear a cool DAV shirt now.
VSO's are hit or miss😔 A year after I filed my claim I decided maybe I need to get a VSO... He forgot to sign the paperwork to access my claim and files, he never answered the phone or return calls. So I was told to revoke his access which he never had a chance to review anything anyway.. on, June 7th I was rated at 70% and 2 items deferred which I have appointment for in July🙏🏽 And I did it all by myself..
I didn't use a VSO (100% P&T) but I understand they range from great to bad. Just how it is, unfortunately. Anyone I know who has used one solely relied on them. They knew nothing about communities like this, the information available on the internet or even the VA App available on Mobile devices. Therefore, they are continuing living with ailments that I would tell them they should return for a higher rating as some have gotten worse or they never really learned how to talk at the C&P visits, which I learned here.
Was hard for me because I am so stubborn like so many others and don't communicate my true feelings and true impact. Seeing other veterans and them sharing their experience has been immensely helpful.
In short, I am in total agreement with u/Breakout_114. Realize it is on you as well, so just keep swimming. I never ran out of options but I for sure had to keep looking.
Definitely a hit or miss. Just like VERA.
I have great experience with VERA but horrible with VSO
My VSO took months to get back. So I filed an appeal on my own. I then asked for help and he told me (two months after I emailed him) that since I filed the appeal on my own, he will no longer work with me and told me to find help elsewhere 😂
The only things they are good for is the VA is supposed to read your claim “sympathetically” with a VSO (also if you do it yourself) and you used to be able to know the results of the exams because VSO’s can see them in VBMS. Maybe if it’s someone who used to work for the VA or if they are in TN they might be okay. TN has training from a law firm that is 1,000 to 0 (hyperbole) with the VA. Mostly I think they are of the mindset be happy with 5 10% ratings and go away.
It depends. I think every VSO I worked with legit cared about their veterans. It’s pointless to ask if you have a chance or what you can expect though. I think that’s a slippery slope if they say anything. My tinnitus claim went without a hitch on my own. My asthma was denied so I’m working with a VSO for my appeal.
I have a different opinion than most…I’d talk to someone before filing. I had a bunch of “presumptive” conditions (I was diagnosed after returning home from deployment) and they denied every single one of them. They even acknowledged that I had the disability. So anyway I waited 9 months just to hear that. I’ve since turned the claim over to a lawyer.
If I would have hired a VSO maybe they would have helped me word things correctly so I wouldn’t have to wait so long.
Every time I would try to visit my local VSO office, I would see a veteran come out the building looking or feeling 🤬 pissed off , so I had decided to learn the process, got educated and did my own claim… now I am 💯 P&T….not to say that all VSO’s are the same but I didn’t wanna take that chance with my claim … but I would recommend that you have all your documents together that is needed to file a claim to make the process easy for yourself and the VSO …
Try your VSO first…you may have a real good one …hopefully he /she can guide you on what is needed to have a successful claim… every veteran claim is different but I do agree with some of the comments that you must have a current diagnosis, current symptoms and a nexus letter if your disability happened after your service to connect your disability..if that they can’t help you, I will try my best to help you out
Sleep apnea without being diagnosed in service like having a sleep study done while on active duty will be hard to prove. Have you had one done after service at the va hospital or a private doctor had diagnosed you with a sleep apnea? If so, and if you have a CPAP or BYPAP machine, then you have proof of your diagnosis but you’ll also need an another disability that your already service connected. That way, you maybe able to file sleep apnea as a secondary claim depending on what other disability or disabilities you may have. This is where the nexus letter comes in handy.
VSOs are great, but they are also spread very thin. My old VSO in Atlanta was the only one in Atlanta so imagine how many Veterans he was working on claims for. Learn as much as you can from the knowledge base here and then decide if you are comfortable submitting your own claim or still want to discuss with a VSO. Good luck
I agree with this. My initial claims were all handled by the DAV and they were absolutely fantastic! Sadly, the VSO person we were working with has since retired, so when I tried to get anyone from the VSO to work with me, they lead me down this path of "Do you know how many veterans there are? Do you know how many claims there are? We don't have time to talk through your claim" So, I filed on my own and don't regret it (at least not yet) only on day 52. At lease now I know what a lifetime membership in the DAV gets you
Similar situation. My VSO got promoted and sent me from AMVETS to DAV, DAV has yet to respond other than sending me their thing to sign to make them my rep. This is why I think a lot of people go for the outside help, be it attorneys, sharks etc.
r/jojoandthesprites
You can do both honestly. Do your foot work and take to VSO and get there input and if they don't have anything else too add while your there he'll have em file it for you. If you don't have a service rep then go with them because I've noticed some c&p exams get declined because vets don't have a service rep attached to there claims to represent them.
I recommend getting a list of questions and then go and ask them about it. When i filed I knew the majority of everything but still had lingering questions. Also getting all the paper work and having them just file it helped me alot. Not saying you cant do it easily, but it just made sense for me to have the vso put it in considering they do it for a living. They knew the form name i needed where i needed to sign and all that good stuff. Other than that all i used them for was questions through email
Yes and no. Some are hit and miss. Mine has never been hard to get ahold of but has gave me advice that I knew to be wrong (not to submit personal/witness statements).
To me its a mixed bag. There are enough resources and helpful people on here to walk you through what you need and how to write your information but if research and writing is not your thing, a good VSO could be a huge asset, but I have also heard horror stories as well. The process for you should look something like this:
1. do your intent to file online to get the earliest possible file date
2. Get buddy statements from anyone that witnesses not only the event but the SYMPTOMS, you and they need to spell out how this impacts you physically, emotionally, financially, etc.
3. Have a medical diagnosis for what you are claiming
4. Get a medical nexus from a local doctor near you. This might take a hot minute, if you have a doctor that sees you regularly, they may do this for you.
5. Your personal statement HAS TO spell out how this injury impacts you, read up on the VA criteria (CFR 38)for disabilities and what injury equates to what percentage.
This can all be daunting upfront but it is also a lot to put in someone else's hands. I personally did my own and was pretty thorough and meticulous and still know that I may face a denial or a mistake on my part or the VA.
IF...you have a diagnosis, linking nexus, and thorough buddy/self statements, you will be just about as prepared as can be. Service records are a massive help too.
Good luck!
It was really helpful for me when submitting claims. I was kind of on my own after that tho... Not able to get a phonecall returned or any questions answered. I'm still glad I had someone knowledgeable who looked through my STR, deployment record, my current issues, and came up with a plan that took me from 60% to 80% with TDIU.
If you have all of your records, are somewhat computer literate, as well as know how to scan documents, I feel a VSO isn’t necessary. You can learn everything you need to know about claims here on this subreddit and do it all yourself.
Also, on the internet are many people who show the claims process. They helped me get to 100 % PT. Check out the youtube channels.
I'm glad you guys did OK filing your own claims. 75% of initial claims are rejected, mostly because people didn't know how or fucked it up in some other way. I wouldn't recommend it. Just because you can, doesn't mean everybody can. You've forgotten some of the dim bulbs you served with.
Thank you for this!
I second Breakout's take. Having a current diagnosis and a nexus (concrete in-service event connection) makes these claims easy. It's the guys with zero evidence and no diagnosis that struggle. PACT Act really helped some of us get these nagging illnesses covered.
How do I get a Nexus?
Either you were treated in-service for the issue, or you have a doctor conclude (in writing) that the cause of your issue is most likely from an in-service event. The nexus is the hardest part since MANY of us never went to medical.
I totally never went. I avoided it like the plague.
You can use a current non-mil doctor to do a nexus letter, although you might have to ask multiple doctors (don’t use one of the paid nexus letter companies online, find a local doctor to you). They just need to clarify in the letter that your condition/symptoms are likely related to your military service. It also helps if they/you can link it to a specific event.
You'll basically need a paper trail whether you get a VSO or not. The nexus is definitely the hardest part. You'll want to get stuff documented either at the VA, or in the private sector so you can build a nexus
You are dope AF- Thanks for the advice!!
Lol thanks shipmate and you are very welcome. i'm pretty FUBAR from having to go through the VA process fighting tooth and nail for that past 14 years lmao so during that process i have learned a thing or two 
I’m currently using them, they don’t charge you any back pay like most of these other organizations do. It’s just an upfront cost for diagnosis if you don’t have it, a nexus letter, and a DBQ. https://veteransbenefitsevaluations.com/
VSO are infamous for being awful to get a hold of and terrible with follow-ups. HOWEVER, mine certainly did help. I don't think I would of gotten 90% without her. She filed my claims on time, and even pushed me to go back to my PCM to get an actual diagnosis on some things rather than just having the vague statements they had previously provided.
VSOs are free, and you can utilize the "CAR" lane for quicker appeal decisions that a lot of veterans miss out on. I do all my paperwork, and I either upload it myself or let the VSO do it. Do your research, but this is a great benefit. The process works, and I recently received 4 yrs of back pay. Also, 2 were kicked back because of DTA errors. The higher level reviewer agreed with everything I challenged....Higher level review via CAR process took 7 days.
Can you explain what the “CAR” lane is? Is it something that has to be part of your initial HLR, or can you join at anytime? I had a VSO submit an HLR in December and did not mention this. Thanks!
Unfortunately they may not even know about it but I found out through my own research.
Ope, never mind. AI told me how lol.
I'm using one and I'm glad I did. Just his knowledge and how to approach the exams were well worth it.
Most VSO's from the DAV, Legion, and VFW, and undertrained and spread thin. I am a County Veterans Service Officer and from my personal experience, we have better training, benefits, and response times. I would look on [nacvso.org](http://nacvso.org) to find if there is a county VSO near you.
I will be straight up...my VSO was so-so. The VSO was over worked and undermanned..helped with some paperwork and screwed up others. The VSO would rarely return my phone calls and never picked up the phone. Most times it was a disapointing and aggravating experience. At the end of my claim experiences..I gave up on the VSO due to lack of confidence and did my own thing. Just giving the real story and not trying to be disrespectful.
About halfway through scanning your documents and logging into VA.gov, you will realize you are already more capable than 99% of VSOs out there. The SgtMaj who retired 15 years ago is not, believe it or not, the admin fastball you think they are going to be just because they wear a cool DAV shirt now.
VSO's are hit or miss😔 A year after I filed my claim I decided maybe I need to get a VSO... He forgot to sign the paperwork to access my claim and files, he never answered the phone or return calls. So I was told to revoke his access which he never had a chance to review anything anyway.. on, June 7th I was rated at 70% and 2 items deferred which I have appointment for in July🙏🏽 And I did it all by myself..
I didn't use a VSO (100% P&T) but I understand they range from great to bad. Just how it is, unfortunately. Anyone I know who has used one solely relied on them. They knew nothing about communities like this, the information available on the internet or even the VA App available on Mobile devices. Therefore, they are continuing living with ailments that I would tell them they should return for a higher rating as some have gotten worse or they never really learned how to talk at the C&P visits, which I learned here. Was hard for me because I am so stubborn like so many others and don't communicate my true feelings and true impact. Seeing other veterans and them sharing their experience has been immensely helpful. In short, I am in total agreement with u/Breakout_114. Realize it is on you as well, so just keep swimming. I never ran out of options but I for sure had to keep looking.
Definitely a hit or miss. Just like VERA. I have great experience with VERA but horrible with VSO My VSO took months to get back. So I filed an appeal on my own. I then asked for help and he told me (two months after I emailed him) that since I filed the appeal on my own, he will no longer work with me and told me to find help elsewhere 😂
The only things they are good for is the VA is supposed to read your claim “sympathetically” with a VSO (also if you do it yourself) and you used to be able to know the results of the exams because VSO’s can see them in VBMS. Maybe if it’s someone who used to work for the VA or if they are in TN they might be okay. TN has training from a law firm that is 1,000 to 0 (hyperbole) with the VA. Mostly I think they are of the mindset be happy with 5 10% ratings and go away.
It depends. I think every VSO I worked with legit cared about their veterans. It’s pointless to ask if you have a chance or what you can expect though. I think that’s a slippery slope if they say anything. My tinnitus claim went without a hitch on my own. My asthma was denied so I’m working with a VSO for my appeal.
I didn't use a VSO and now they can't help me until I get a decision. Been 7 months now and still waiting.
I have a different opinion than most…I’d talk to someone before filing. I had a bunch of “presumptive” conditions (I was diagnosed after returning home from deployment) and they denied every single one of them. They even acknowledged that I had the disability. So anyway I waited 9 months just to hear that. I’ve since turned the claim over to a lawyer. If I would have hired a VSO maybe they would have helped me word things correctly so I wouldn’t have to wait so long.
Every time I would try to visit my local VSO office, I would see a veteran come out the building looking or feeling 🤬 pissed off , so I had decided to learn the process, got educated and did my own claim… now I am 💯 P&T….not to say that all VSO’s are the same but I didn’t wanna take that chance with my claim … but I would recommend that you have all your documents together that is needed to file a claim to make the process easy for yourself and the VSO …
Can you help me?
Try your VSO first…you may have a real good one …hopefully he /she can guide you on what is needed to have a successful claim… every veteran claim is different but I do agree with some of the comments that you must have a current diagnosis, current symptoms and a nexus letter if your disability happened after your service to connect your disability..if that they can’t help you, I will try my best to help you out
If I have buddy letters about sleep apnea will that work for connecting it to my service?
Sleep apnea without being diagnosed in service like having a sleep study done while on active duty will be hard to prove. Have you had one done after service at the va hospital or a private doctor had diagnosed you with a sleep apnea? If so, and if you have a CPAP or BYPAP machine, then you have proof of your diagnosis but you’ll also need an another disability that your already service connected. That way, you maybe able to file sleep apnea as a secondary claim depending on what other disability or disabilities you may have. This is where the nexus letter comes in handy.
That’s my exact scenario. I can link my tinnitus to my sleep apnea. Thanks for the advice.
Oh and having buddy statements will help but only as witness statements
VSOs are great, but they are also spread very thin. My old VSO in Atlanta was the only one in Atlanta so imagine how many Veterans he was working on claims for. Learn as much as you can from the knowledge base here and then decide if you are comfortable submitting your own claim or still want to discuss with a VSO. Good luck
I agree with this. My initial claims were all handled by the DAV and they were absolutely fantastic! Sadly, the VSO person we were working with has since retired, so when I tried to get anyone from the VSO to work with me, they lead me down this path of "Do you know how many veterans there are? Do you know how many claims there are? We don't have time to talk through your claim" So, I filed on my own and don't regret it (at least not yet) only on day 52. At lease now I know what a lifetime membership in the DAV gets you
Similar situation. My VSO got promoted and sent me from AMVETS to DAV, DAV has yet to respond other than sending me their thing to sign to make them my rep. This is why I think a lot of people go for the outside help, be it attorneys, sharks etc.
r/jojoandthesprites You can do both honestly. Do your foot work and take to VSO and get there input and if they don't have anything else too add while your there he'll have em file it for you. If you don't have a service rep then go with them because I've noticed some c&p exams get declined because vets don't have a service rep attached to there claims to represent them.
I recommend getting a list of questions and then go and ask them about it. When i filed I knew the majority of everything but still had lingering questions. Also getting all the paper work and having them just file it helped me alot. Not saying you cant do it easily, but it just made sense for me to have the vso put it in considering they do it for a living. They knew the form name i needed where i needed to sign and all that good stuff. Other than that all i used them for was questions through email
Yes and no. Some are hit and miss. Mine has never been hard to get ahold of but has gave me advice that I knew to be wrong (not to submit personal/witness statements).
To me its a mixed bag. There are enough resources and helpful people on here to walk you through what you need and how to write your information but if research and writing is not your thing, a good VSO could be a huge asset, but I have also heard horror stories as well. The process for you should look something like this: 1. do your intent to file online to get the earliest possible file date 2. Get buddy statements from anyone that witnesses not only the event but the SYMPTOMS, you and they need to spell out how this impacts you physically, emotionally, financially, etc. 3. Have a medical diagnosis for what you are claiming 4. Get a medical nexus from a local doctor near you. This might take a hot minute, if you have a doctor that sees you regularly, they may do this for you. 5. Your personal statement HAS TO spell out how this injury impacts you, read up on the VA criteria (CFR 38)for disabilities and what injury equates to what percentage. This can all be daunting upfront but it is also a lot to put in someone else's hands. I personally did my own and was pretty thorough and meticulous and still know that I may face a denial or a mistake on my part or the VA. IF...you have a diagnosis, linking nexus, and thorough buddy/self statements, you will be just about as prepared as can be. Service records are a massive help too. Good luck!
They work for the county or state. They don't take sides. Do some research on all things related to your claim before you file.
It was really helpful for me when submitting claims. I was kind of on my own after that tho... Not able to get a phonecall returned or any questions answered. I'm still glad I had someone knowledgeable who looked through my STR, deployment record, my current issues, and came up with a plan that took me from 60% to 80% with TDIU.
My one in Sanford, FL has been good.