Victory Over V.A. Podcast

What happens when a female veteran develops a reproductive health condition during service, but the VA fails to recognize the connection? From endometriosis and military sexual trauma to toxic exposure and overlooked diagnoses, women veterans may be missing out on disability benefits they have earned.

In this episode of The Victory Over VA Podcast, attorneys Francis Jackson and Alexandra Jackson discuss reproductive health claims, the challenges of proving service connection, and why more women veterans should take a closer look at their eligibility for VA disability compensation.

Think you can't qualify for VA disability benefits because you never served in combat? That misconception could be costing you thousands of dollars in compensation. In this episode of The Victory Over VA Podcast, attorneys Francis Jackson and Kristian Terison explain why peacetime veterans may qualify for disability benefits, how to prove service-connected conditions, and why taking the first step toward filing a claim could make all the difference.

How much does it really cost to hire an attorney for a VA disability claim? And what happens if your claim is denied? In this episode of The Victory Over VA Podcast, attorneys Francis Jackson and Alexandra Jackson break down contingency fees, case expenses, VA payment rules, and court appeals. Learn what veterans should understand before signing a fee agreement and why knowing the difference between attorney fees and expenses can help prevent unexpected costs.

What if a condition you are already service connected for is causing another medical problem that could also qualify for VA disability benefits?

In this episode of The Victory Over VA Podcast, attorneys Francis Jackson and Kristian Terison explain secondary service connection, how one condition can create or aggravate another, and why veterans may be overlooking conditions that could affect their overall disability benefits. They also discuss the evidence behind these claims and why acting quickly can matter when it comes to a potential effective date.

For many survivors of military sexual trauma, the hardest part of pursuing VA disability benefits may begin long before a claim is ever filed. Shame, silence, and the difficulty of acknowledging what happened can keep veterans from seeking help for decades.

In this episode of The Victory Over VA Podcast, attorneys Francis Jackson and Kristian Terison discuss what they call the "silence tax," why MST claims are different from many other VA disability claims, what evidence the VA may consider, and why it is never too late for a survivor to file.

For Blue Water Navy veterans exposed to Agent Orange, changes in the law have opened doors that were once closed. But what happens when a veteran’s ship is missing from the VA’s list, or a claim was denied decades ago?

In this episode of The Victory Over VA Podcast, attorneys Francis Jackson and Kristian Terison explain why an old denial may not be the end of the story, what evidence can help establish service in Vietnam’s territorial waters, and why some surviving spouses may also have benefits worth pursuing.

Faster VA disability decisions sound like good news, but what happens when speed comes at the expense of a careful review?

In this episode of The Victory Over VA Podcast, attorneys Francis Jackson and Kristian Terison examine how automation is changing VA claims processing, why complex claims can still fall through the cracks, and what veterans should understand before choosing an appeal path after a denial.

What happens when an Agent Orange claim that was denied years ago may qualify under today’s rules?

In this episode of The Victory Over VA Podcast, attorneys Francis Jackson and Kristian Terison revisit Agent Orange presumptions, explain how the PACT Act changed the landscape for some veterans, and discuss why veterans who served in Thailand, Guam, territorial waters near Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia may want to take another look at previously denied claims.

The PACT Act made it easier for many veterans to connect certain cancers to toxic exposure, but that does not mean every burn pit cancer claim gets approved.

In this episode of The Victory Over VA Podcast, attorneys Alexandra Jackson and Francis Jackson explain why some cancers still fall outside VA presumptions, what veterans can do when records are missing, and why pursuing a claim may still matter even when a veteran is seriously ill.

VA disability rating criteria can change, but what happens to the rating you already have?

In this episode of The Victory Over VA Podcast, attorneys Alexandra Jackson and Francis Jackson break down grandfathering, proposed changes involving tinnitus and sleep apnea, protected ratings, routine reexaminations, and why veterans should understand the potential trade-offs before asking VA to reevaluate a disability.