Federal Judge Permits Class-Action Lawsuit To Proceed Against VA For Inadequate Veterans Care

Related to mental care treatment...when returning from active duty, much of this has been on the news lately and now it appears the court has cleared the way for a class action lawsuit...BD

Conti said that if the plaintiffs can prove their allegations, it would show that "thousands of veterans, if not more, are suffering grievous injuries as the result of their inability to procure desperately needed and obviously deserved health care." He added that federal courts are competent to decide whether veterans' injuries were caused by flaws in the system or in the VA's grievance procedures. Conti said, "It is within the court's power to insist that veterans be granted a level of due process that is commensurate with the adjudication procedures with which they are confronted."
The next hearing in the case, scheduled for Feb. 22, will address plaintiffs' request for an injunction that would require VA to provide immediate mental health treatment for veterans who experience stress disorders and are at risk of suicide, according to Sidney Wolinsky, a lawyer for Disability Rights Advocates (San Francisco Chronicle, 1/11).