Paul, Weiss Wins Two Veterans’ Appeals Cases

Paul, Weiss recently prevailed in two cases before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, securing remands on behalf of two veterans seeking financial compensation for injuries suffered during their service. The cases were part of an ongoing partnership between Paul, Weiss and the National Veterans Legal Services Program.

Our first client, a Marine Corps veteran, sought compensation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for his type II diabetes, which he claimed he developed as a result of exposure to toxic herbicides during a deployment to Okinawa, Japan. A growing body of reports and laboratory tests support previously rejected claims that toxic herbicides were used and stored on Okinawa. On remand from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the Paul, Weiss team successfully convinced the Board to further remand the case for additional factual development and medical evaluation. The Paul, Weiss team included partner Joseph Bial and associates William Marks and Alexander Jones.

Our second client, an Army veteran, sought compensation for recurring back pain that he first experienced during his service and for which he had sought treatment on multiple occasions. Ultimately, our client needed surgery for his back injury, and was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, among other conditions. The VA’s medical examination, a key part of his case, did not analyze all instances of his reported pain during service, and as a result, his claim for a service connection for his back injuries was denied. On remand from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the Paul, Weiss team was able to convince the Board to further remand the case for a proper medical evaluation. The Paul, Weiss team included litigation partner Joseph Bial and associates William Marks and Jay Kaplan.