February 10, 2020
McGuireWoods New York associate Steven Peretz and Washington, D.C., associates Shreya Patel and Brian Wanglin recently achieved a favorable outcome for their pro bono client, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
The client injured his back in 1973 when he was on active duty in the Marines, but his disability claims were repeatedly denied, starting in 1982, due to a perceived lack of connection between the injury and his military service.
After volunteering through the National Veterans Legal Services Program to take on the matter, McGuireWoods appealed the decision, providing new and material evidence to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. The lawyers submitted updated medical files for their client, including a statement from his physician that the veteran “has a chronic disabling back problem that can be traced back to his initial injury sustained during his military service.”
In response, the board reopened the veteran’s claim and, on Jan. 7, 2020, granted him a service connection. He will now receive disability benefits, and he is pleased with the outcome.