Lawsuit References

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We have duplicated the last four pages of the complaint in Case No. wc-106298 below, in order to make available live hyperlinks for you to follow in order to obtain the referenced documents without having to type the lengthy URLs into your browser. My Web page editor has found that a few of the links referenced in the complaint document went nowhere - I have removed the "dead" hyperlinks, put the links in italics, and flagged the URL with "(dead link)".

The numbers after the dotted lines under the references refer to page numbers in the complaint where that reference / information is relevant. The entirety of the complaint is available in PDF format (74 pages).

Listening to the archived radio and BlogTV programs will help you stay abreast of important developments. You can also view mainstream media NEWS reports on this case at:

CBS / HealthWatch article:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/23/health/main3089263.shtml?source=RSSattr=Politics_3089263

CNN.com:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/07/23/veterans.lawsuit.ap/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular

APPENDIX OF AUTHORITIES AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET

Case No. wc-106298

COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF

Linda Bilmes, "Soldiers Returning from Iraq and Afghanistan:

The Long-Term Costs of Providing Veterans Medical Care and Disability Benefits," RWP07-001 (John F. Kennedy School of Government,Harvard University, Faculty Research Working Papers Series, 2007) available at:

http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/Research/wpaper.nsf/rwp/RWP07001/$File/rwp_07_001_bilmes.pdf (dead link)

.................................................................14, 15, 35, 37, 40, 46, 53

U.S. Gov't Accountability Office, VA and DOD Health care:

Efforts to Provide Seamless Transition of Care for OEF and OIF Service members and Veterans, GAO 06-794R. (June 2006) available at:
http://www.gao.gov/htext/d06794r.html

.................................................................15

C.W. Hoge et al., Combat Duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mental Health Problems, and Barriers to Care, The New England Journal of Medicine, July 1, 2004, available at:

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/reprint/351/1/13.pdf

.................................................................15

Frances M. Murphy, Statement Before the Former Members of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (Mar. 29, 2006),available at:
http://www.mhreform.org/pdf/Veterans%20Panel%20Murphy.pdf (link is broken)

.................................................................16, 46

Dep't of Defense Task Force on Mental Health, An Achievable Vision: Report of the Department of Defense, Task Force on Mental Health (June 2007), available at:

http://www.ha.osd.mil/dhb/mhtf/MHTF-Report-inal.pdf (dead link)

.................................................................18, 43, 53, 54

Sara Corbett, The Women's War, N.Y. Times Mag., Mar. 18, 2007, available at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/magazine/18cover.html?ex=1331870400&en=823808201240cefd&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

.................................................................19, 46

Dep't of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Review of State Variances in VA Disability Compensation Payments, Report No. 05-00765-137 (May 19, 2005), available at:

www.va.gov/oig/52/reports/2005/vaoig-05-00765-137.pdf

.................................................................19, 36, 52, 56, 59

Veterans Benefits Administration, Annual Benefits Report FY 2005 (Sept. 2005), available at:

http://www.vba.va.gov/reports.htm

.................................................................19

Jeremy Manier & Judith Graham, Veterans Fight the War Within, The Chicago Tribune, Mar. 13, 2007, available at:

http://www.bcbs.com/news/national/veterans-fight-the-war-within.html

.................................................................20

Nathaniel M. Rickles, et al., Health Care Experiences and Health Outcomes of African-American Veterans, Institute on Urban Health Research (April 2007), available at:

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/download/2007/0524/13385287.pdf

.................................................................19, 20

Maureen Murdoch, et al., Mitigating Effect of Department of Veterans Affairs Disability Benefits for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder on Low Income, Military Medicine (Feb. 2005), available at:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3912/is_200502/ai_n10298781/print

.................................................................20

Stacy Bannerman, Iraq Reservists Face a 'Perfect Storm' of Post-Traumatic Stress, Foreign Policy in Focus, Mar. 15, 2007, available at: http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/49226

.................................................................23, 42, 43

Daniel Bertoni, "Veterans' Disability Benefits: Processing of Claims Continues to Present Challenges", Testimony before the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs,

Committee on Veterans' Affairs, United States House of Representatives (Mar. 13, 2007), available at:

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07562t.pdf

.................................................................24, 35

Dep't of Veterans Affairs, VHA Handbook 1601 E.01: Compensation and Pension Examinations (Veterans Health Administration 2006), available at:
http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1400 (dead link)

.................................................................25

James P. Terry, Report of the Chairman, Board of Veterans Appeals, for Fiscal Year 2006 (2006),
available at:

http://www.va.gov/Vetapp/ChairRpt/BVA2006AR.pdf

.................................................................28, 29, 31, 37, 39, 40

Committee on Veterans' Compensation for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, National Research Council, PTSD Compensation and Military Service (National Academies Press 2007), available at:
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11870.html

.................................................................29, 44

U.S. Gen. Accounting Office, Quality Assurance for Disability Claims and Appeals Processing Can Be Further Improved, GAO-02-806, (Aug. 2002), available at:

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02806.pdf

.................................................................31, 40, 61

Dep't of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Combined Assessment Program Review of the VA Regional Office in Oakland, California, No. 01-02124-7 (March 21, 2002), available at:

http://www.va.gov/oig/CAP/01-02124-71.pdf

.................................................................35

William P. Greene, Jr., Statement before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives (May 22, 2007), available at:
http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/schedule110/may07/05-22-07/5-2207greene.shtml (dead link)

.................................................................37, 41

Robert V. Chisholm, Statement Before the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives (May 22, 2007), available at:

http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/schedule/110/may07/05-22-07/05-22-07chisholm.shtml (dead link)

.................................................................39

Paul R. Michel, State of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Cambridge, MD, June 28, 2007, available at:

http://www.fedcir.gov/pdf/State_of_the_Court.pdf

.................................................................41, 42

Department of Veterans Affairs FY 2006 Performance and Accountability Report (2006), available at:

www.va.gov/budget/report

.................................................................39, 42, 46, 47, 48, 52

Dan Frosch, Fighting the Terror of Battles That Rage in Soldiers' Heads, N.Y. Times, May 13, 2007, available at:

http://www.veteransforamerica.org/ArticleID/9643 (dead link)

.................................................................43

Daniel Bertoni, "Veterans' Disability Benefits: Long-Standing Claims Processing Challenges Persist", Testimony Before the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, United States Senate, U.S. Gov't Accountability Office, GAO-07-512T (March 7, 2007), available at:

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07512t.pdf

.................................................................44

Jon A. Wooditch, Statement Before the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Hearing on Variances in Disability Compensation Claims Decisions (Oct. 20, 2005), available at:

http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/schedule109/oct05/10-20-05/jwooditch.html

.................................................................45

U.S. Gov't Accountability Office, Report to the Ranking Democratic Member, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, United States House of Representatives, VA Health Care: VA Should Expedite the Implementation of Recommendations Needed to Improve Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Services, GAO-05-287 (Feb. 2005, available at:
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05287.html (dead link)

.................................................................46, 47, 48

U.S. Gov't Accountability Office, Report to Congressional Committees, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: DOD Needs to Identify the Factors Its Providers Use to Make Mental Health Evaluation Referrals for Servicemembers, GAO-06-397 (May 2006), available at:

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06397high.pdf (dead link)

.................................................................47

U. S. Gov't Accountability Office, Report to the Ranking Democratic Member, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, United States House of Representatives, VA and Defense Health Care: More Information Needed to Determine If VA Can Meet an Increase in Demand for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Services, GAO-04-1069 (Sept. 2004), available at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d041069.pdf

.................................................................48

Robert Epley, Training Letter 01-01 (Compensation & Pension Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, Jan. 8, 2001), available at:

http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/Admin21/LETTER/TL01_01.doc (dead link)

.................................................................49

U.S. Gov't Accountability Office, VA Health Care: Budget Formulation for Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006, GAO-06-430R (Feb. 2, 2006), available at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06430r.pdf

.................................................................51, 52

U.S. Gov't Accountability Office, Report to Congressional Requesters, VA Health Care: Spending for Mental Health Strategic Plan Initiatives Was Substantially Less Than Planned, GAO-07-66 (Nov. 2006) available at:
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0766.pdf

.................................................................53

Joshua Kors, How Specialist Town Lost His Benefits, The Nation, Apr. 9, 2007, available at:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070409/kors

.................................................................55

Toni Locy, Lawyer Gets 15 Months for Tampering with Vets' Files, The Washington Post, Sept. 9, 1995, available at:

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/19405778.html?dids=19405778:19405778&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&fmac=&date=Sep+9%2C+1995&author=Toni+Locy&desc=Lawyer+Gets+15+Months+for+Tampering+With+Vets%27+Files

.................................................................59

Case No. wc-106298

COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF