State Attorneys General Investigate Trajector Medical Over VA Claims
State attorneys general in New York and Illinois announced investigations into Trajector Medical for alleged misleading practices targeting U.S. veterans. The Florida-based disability claims consulting firm faces legal action over VA claim assistance fees and automated tracking software tied to veteran disability claims filings.
State Attorneys General Investigate Trajector Medical Over VA Claims
Federal law restricts how firms can bill for assistance to former service members filing initial disability claims. Trajector allegedly charged fees climbing as high as $20,000 for consulting on VA disability claims, according to published reports by NPR and The War Horse.
State lawyers outlined plans in a letter to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Middle District of Florida, claiming Trajector violated federal law and confirmed probes into whether the business misuses personal information taken from veteran clients.
>> Frustrated with your VA disability rating? Register for a free consultation for help with increasing your rating to get the compensation you deserve.
CallBot Controversy
One major issue in this action involves software known as CallBot.
This software allegedly made tens of thousands of calls each month to a Department of Veterans Affairs line set up for vets checking disability status.
According to complaints, CallBot programming included entering client birth dates and Social Security numbers, letting the program track monthly payments. When the system noted higher benefit ratings, Trajector allegedly sent bills for up to five times the monthly increase.
Trajector told NPR their contracts explain the automated checks, but some veterans report they denied consent for company staff to use their records to monitor that money.
Trajector Files Chapter 11
Trajector and 21 sister companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection five days before an approaching default deadline on a $63 million Deutsche Bank loan tab. The July bankruptcy move froze class-action suits for some clients and the future of the legal actions against Trajector are unclear at press time.
Lawmakers in Washington stay split on ways to rein in the private VA disability consulting market. Some lawmakers have introduced bills to restore criminal penalties for unaccredited veteran benefits consultants while backing a plan targeting automated systems that dial agency lines.
With no standard federal rules, states must do right by veterans in these cases. One example? California passed laws targeting unaccredited operations taking cash for initial claims help. A federal judge struck down a Louisiana rule capping consulting fees at $12,500, ruling the state measure unconstitutional.
Veterans’ rights advocates say for-profit businesses take away billions in disability support meant for veterans with service-connected disabilities. As bankruptcy moves forward in Florida, the outcome of state actions against such operations will help determine the future of VA claims assistance, whether for-profit or not.
>> Frustrated with your VA disability rating? Register for a free consultation for help with increasing your rating to get the compensation you deserve.
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
