FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 20, 1997
CONTACT: Dana Hagerty 202/225-2165
WASHINGTON, DC -- The House Veterans' Affairs Committee today passed legislation that would give veterans whose disability claims were improperly evaluated by the Department of Veterans Affairs the opportunity to correct the errors. Congressman Peterson (DFL-7th District) is an original co-sponsor of the legislation.
"This bill will give veterans who believe their claims weren't evaluated correctly a chance to try and prove that," Peterson said.
The Department of Veterans' Affairs assesses a disability rating for a veteran based on the severity of the injury or illness, and awards benefits based on the rating. Sometimes mistakes are made and a veteran is assigned a rating that is clearly wrong, resulting in lost benefits. Presently, only the Board of Veterans' Appeals has the right to initiate revision of a prior Board decision.
"This legislation will give veterans the opportunity to address claims of clear and unmistakable error," Peterson said. "No veteran should be denied benefits because of a bureaucratic mistake."