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| Judy Smith, VFW Claims Consultant, Chicago, persevered to help a Gulf War veteran receive the benefits he deserved. |
Judy Smith, VFW Claims Consultant, Chicago, sees a lot of cases in the course of a year. But the case of Phil (not his real name), a young Gulf War veteran, really stood out. Phil had been fighting to receive benefits for more than a decade — and his claims had been repeatedly denied.
He was suffering from a host of ailments, including seizures, rashes, headaches and memory loss. The debilitating illnesses even led him to attempt suicide.
“Phil was young and had been suffering the effects of his service for so long,” Smith explained. “When I got his case, I vowed that he would get resolution and the help he needed to improve his quality of life.”
Phil originally filed for benefits in 1996 and was denied. Over the next few years, he re-filed and appealed decisions with no luck, despite the fact his health was swiftly deteriorating.
In 2001, Smith filed a notice of disagreement. The Board of Appeals requested additional medical information.
In January of 2008, Phil finally got the news he had been waiting for — his claim was approved.
He received an 80% rating for grand mal seizures; 50% rating for headaches and 50% rating for anxiety disorder. In all, he is now rated 100% disabled.
In addition, the VA awarded Phil more than $230,000 in retroactive benefits!
“This gentleman has been through the ringer,” reflected Smith. “It meant so much to him not only to receive the benefits, but to have the acknowledgement of the tremendous pain he has suffered all these years.” | 
