Well, I really don't share your view of this.
For example, as of April 1, 2006, I believe the Department had received some 30,000 claims. However, when you look at the situation as a whole, it is clear that only a small percentage of those cases are appealed. Considering the number of applications we process, I can easily say that of those 30,000 claims, for example, not more than 20% were appealed to the VRAB. In fact, it often happens that these appeals are connected to the same cases—which reduces the numbers even more.
Every case comprises several claims. The percentage of cases that are reviewed or appealed to the VRAB rarely exceeds 10 or 15%, depending on the number of pending claims. No, there are not a lot of appeals to the VRAB. However, there is a large volume of claims filed with the Department of Veterans Affairs.