Judge Warns of Vets Disability Backlog

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http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,136721,00.html?wh=wh

Judge Warns of Vets Disability Backlog
Associated Press | May 23, 2007

WASHINGTON - A special federal court that hears veterans' disability appeals is facing its highest caseload ever as the government increasingly turns down benefits for war veterans, its chief judge said Tuesday.

Judge William P. Greene Jr., who presides over the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, warned of a strained court that has had to recall five retired judges in recent months to assist with growing backlogs of veterans unhappy with the level of disability benefits assigned to them by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The seven-judge court is now averaging 300 appeals per month, which don't include veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan because many of the cases haven't reached the appeals level yet. If the court is to keep up, it will need more staff and building space, Greene told a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee.

"Our present space is or will be inadequate for the type of caseload we are now experiencing," he said. "Adequate space is crucial if we are to make efficient use of recalled judges and any future full-time active judges."

Greene's comments come as a slew of congressional panels are studying ways to improve veterans care, including reducing backlogs of veterans seeking disability benefits. In a study earlier this year, Harvard professor Linda Bilmes said it took up to 177 days for the VA to process an initial claim and then an average of 657 days to process an appeal, resulting in significant hardship to veterans.

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