WHY HAVE A ROADMAP

Getting the VA benefits you were promised is NOT a game. The VA doesn’t hand out these benefits like candy, nor should they. Unfortunately, the nature of the VA becoming a huge bureaucracy means there are more roadblocks and stumbling stones than there ought to be. 

That being the case, deserving Veterans don’t always receive fair compensation, or they must endure years of fighting their government to try to get it. That’s not right.

That’s why Strategic Veteran exists. We want you to have an abundance of resources at hand, all in simple language, so that you will be on a more level playing field with the VA. We want to talk to you about your specific situation because frankly, your buddy’s experience getting his claim approved won’t be the same as yours. 

We want to provide you with a roadmap to help ease you around the VA’s roadblocks that you can follow when you’re ready. Use it at your own pace. Just as a roadmap tells you how to get from one city to the next, our roadmap eases you around the VA’s roadblocks. It lays out a plan for which disability (if you have more than one) should be the first one you work to get service-connected. 

It isn’t always the one you think! Sometimes any service-connection gives you momentum and makes it easier for other claims to be accepted, so going after the easiest ‘win’ makes the most sense. Other times, you can’t get claims approved without first getting others approved.

Another way to think about our roadmap is to think in terms of building a house. Anyone who has seen a house being built knows you start with a good foundation. Then comes the walls, and the roof, and the fixtures, …but if you didn’t plan for plumbing back when you put in the foundation…you have a problem!

Providing these roadmaps free of charge accomplishes several things for our Veterans.

Obviously, giving them a personalized plan that has their maximum long-term benefits in mind means Veterans are less likely to make filing errors that cost them money and time. But having a plan also takes tremendous stress off Veterans because:

• They don’t have to fight the VA alone
• The plan often identifies potential claims they did not even know they have
• They stay in control; they can use the roadmap as they’re comfortable doing so
• It gives them the best chance of getting their claims approved and at the highest possible rating
• Getting claims approved faster means more income and support the Veteran receives to provide for his or her family

Having a personalized plan before filing with the VA is essential because different injuries and complications simply require different approaches and documentation. Hey, VA examiners have guidelines, but they’re still human. One will see one thing in a claim and deny or accept it; another might see something else and respond differently.  A roadmap from someone who has been there before helps Veterans submit claims in such a way that it reduces these ‘grey areas’ for VA examiners.

One final thing having a plan does is help prevent rookie mistakes, we’ll call ‘Throw Everything at the Wall and See What Sticks Syndrome.’ (When the VA is overwhelmed, they tend to deny.)

To the degree possible, we don’t recommend approaching the VA on their turf without a plan. If you don’t have one, contact Strategic Veteran. Together, we can come up with one for you.