Additional information
by Tyson Manker (Author)
VA Handbook for Veterans and Advocates was written by a service-connected combat veteran and licensed attorney for fellow veterans and advocates who want to file a claim with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA") for disability compensation, health care and other benefits. Advocates and family members will also find it useful. The Handbook provides an A-to-Z explanation of the claims process, from gathering records and speaking with accredited individuals to filing a claim for benefits and appealing improper denials. It explains the hierarchy of veterans law, how to understand and apply decisions from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the significance of the M21-1 Manual, and more. VA Handbook also breaks down the modernized appeals system that went into effect in February 2019, with a detailed look at each option that is now available to veterans in the updated appeals process. It should be required reading for all veterans and advocates. If you are going to file a claim for VA benefits, get VA Handbook for Veterans and Advocates.
Author Biography
TYSON MANKER is a licensed Illinois attorney and veterans advocate who served in the Marine Corps infantry with multiple overseas deployments and a 2003 combat tour-of-duty as part of the lead U.S. fighting force during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has since advocated at the local, state and national levels on issues like veterans treatment courts, discharge upgrades, and VA reform. Tyson taught business law at Lincoln Land Community College before serving as the Director of a Washington, DC-based veterans service organization, where he worked closely with members of Congress on military and veterans legislation, and also with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on issues like regulatory reform. In 2018, he successfully sued the Navy in a federal class-action lawsuit, Manker v. Spencer, on behalf of all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with PTSD, TBI and MST who were denied honorable discharges in violation of the law. Having defeated a Government's motion to dismiss, the case is expected to be resolved in 2021 or 2022. Tyson lives in Illinois with his bulldog, Lily.
