News Story (NATIONAL)
RJ Vogt
Law360
September 22, 2019
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Tags: Veterans
Organizations mentioned/involved: National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP)
DETAILS
For decades, such a class action win was impossible at the CAVC due to a 1991 court decision that found the court’s jurisdiction was limited to handling appeals on an individual basis.
But after a string of recent court rulings overturned that decision, the CAVC began granting class action status in June. This month’s ruling marks the second ever class certification of veterans at the CAVC, providing relief to up to 600,000 veterans who were either wrongly denied reimbursement or misled about their eligibility for it.
Bart Stichman, executive director of the National Veterans Legal Services Program, said the decision could be the “biggest win” veterans have ever had in court.
“The court’s decision rights a terrible injustice, and its order ensures that veterans who were unjustly denied reimbursement for critical emergency treatment at non-VA facilities will finally be reimbursed,” he said.