eCourt Reporters transcribed a Sunday Sip interview of Tabak Law’s Jim Brzezinski with John Mercure at WTMJ 620. Tabak Law specializes in benefits for veterans and their families, and eCourt Reporters is pleased to be able to help inform veterans and their families where to receive the help they may need for the benefits they deserve. Following is the Sunday Sip interview:
JOHN MERCURE: I’m John Mercure, this is the Sunday Sip.
I’m super excited to be joined by one of the really good guys, Jim Brzezinski, who is a partner and VA accredited representative at Tabak Law, and also joined by eCourt Reporters‘ Karen and Judy. So great to have you all here, thank you so much.
Good to see you, Jim.
JIM BRZEZINSKI: I appreciate it.
JOHN MERCURE: I want to thank you, first off, for all the very good work you do for our veterans. Our veterans come back, some of them not the men and women they were when they left, and they’re entitled to certain things, and you make sure that they get those things. And, Jim, thank you so much for always doing that.
JIM BRZEZINSKI: You know, it’s a real pleasure, John. These guys and gals are heroes, they deserve the benefits that are available to them, and we find great joy in being able to help them out with these cases.
JOHN MERCURE: We’re going to dive into a couple specific things, but before we do that, just in general, how do you generalize what Tabak Law does for our veterans?
JIM BRZEZINSKI: Well, the things we do for the vets, we do a couple of things: Number 1, we do free case evaluations to determine all and any benefits that they may be entitled to. Even if it’s something that we can’t necessarily help them with, we love to talk to vets and at least send them in the right direction, if nothing else.
But as far as the clients that we actually represent, generally it’s a veteran who is either denied benefits or unhappy with the amount of benefit payments that they are receiving that come in, and we help them through the appeal process.
JOHN MERCURE: Now, that’s an important point, because the VA sometimes will wrongfully deny someone benefits, and they can appeal, but that’s long; it’s arduous; it’s not an area of expertise for these men and women. How important is it that they get help, that they let Tabak come in and help them with that appeal?
JIM BRZEZINSKI: It’s very important, John. The VA law is so complicated and, like you said, it takes such a long time that many vets, just left to do on their own, they are discouraged; giving up, even though they may have a valid claim that can actually result in quite a bit of money to them. We love to talk to vets and show them how we can get them from Point A to Point B, which is an approved case, with really little-to-no effort on their own. We take care of everything.
JOHN MERCURE: We’re talking to Tabak Law’s Jim Brzezinski. I’m going to give you the contact information a couple of times as we head through this conversation. If you are a veteran or you have a loved one who is a veteran, make sure you are getting what you’re entitled to. Tabakattorneys.com. It’s Tabakattorneys.com. They’re located across from the VA Hospital, very easy to find, or here is the phone number: 414-351-4400. That’s 351-4400.
Let’s dive into a couple of these things, Jim, in particular. We hear about PTSD in the news a lot, it’s a type of claim, and you guys are experts in handling these sort of claims. Can you talk about that a little bit?
JIM BRZEZINSKI: Yes, absolutely. This is probably one of the most common claims that we’re helping vets with. And the reason why these claims can be so complicated is that the veteran a lot of times has to actually prove that there was a certain event that happened while they were in the military that is resulting in their current mental health issues. Now, as all of us can imagine, and those who have dealt with the VA and the military know, there’s not always a record of these events. You know, the veterans may witness things that just don’t get documented. And a lot of the times when we’re helping vets with these cases, the hardest part and the biggest challenge is just proving to the VA that what they’re saying happened actually happened. And once we get over that hurdle, you know, the case kind of falls into place, but sometimes it just takes somebody who knows the system; knows what the VA is looking for to be able to do the little things that can get those claims approved.
JOHN MERCURE: And that’s what they do at Tabak Attorneys. So, if you are a veteran or you have a veteran in your family or a neighbor or somebody who is entitled to some of this, get in touch with our friends at Tabak.
We’re talking to Jim Brzezinski, a partner at Tabak Law, and we’re also in the studio with eCourt Reporters‘ Karen and Judy, which is kind of fun.
Let’s talk about unemployability, because I think a lot of people don’t know that this is also a type of claim that some veterans may be entitled to. What is unemployability, Jim?
JIM BRZEZINSKI: So unemployability is actually a great benefit to vets, and it’s not necessarily something that is widely known about, but unemployability is when a veteran is disabled and has been granted benefits but are not receiving the 100 percent benefit payments. Now, if there’s veterans out there that are getting less than 100 percent and are unable to work because of their condition, they can do a vocational evaluation and can make a determination that these conditions are so disabling that it’s not likely that the veteran will be able to maintain a full-time job. And then at that point, they will get raised up to 100 percent based on being unemployable. So, it’s basically a way to get to 100 percent without actually meeting the scheduler requirements of the 100 percent disability.
JOHN MERCURE: So if you think you know somebody who is owed unemployability or eligible for it or they have a PTSD issue or maybe it’s their basic benefits at the VA that they have been denied, they can appeal, and you may know that; what you need to know is that you need a professional to help you. Jim Brzezinski and his team are accredited representatives at the VA, that’s key, and they want to help you. They want to help the veteran in your life. Get in touch with Tabak Attorneys at Tabakattorneys.com. It’s Tabakattorneys.com, or check them out, their office is across from the VA Hospital. You can also get a hold of them on the phone at 414-351-4400. That’s 414-351-4400. The easiest is to check them out online at Tabakattorneys.com.
Jim Brzezinski, Karen, Judy, thank you so much for being here.
And thank you, Jim, for what you do for our veterans.
JIM BRZEZINSKI: Thanks, John. And I’d like to add just one last thing: Tabak Law offers free wills for any veteran and their spouse, whether or not you are a client of ours. So if you’re out by the VA and you need a will, stop in, say hi, and we’ll be happy to get you one.
JOHN MERCURE: I love that. Take them up on that. Tabakattorneys.com.
I’m John Mercure, this has been the Sunday Sip.
JIM BRZEZINSKI: Thanks, John.
Thank you, Tabak Law’s Jim Brzezinski and WTMJ’s John Mercure, for allowing eCourt Reporters to be a part of informing veterans and their families of the important benefits available to them!
