From Equitas, our experience in looking at these 200 files that have gone to a law firm and are representative of claims is that the transfer from DND to Veterans Affairs Canada suggests there seems to be a bit of an attitude that Veterans Affairs Canada is going to screen out bogus claims. Therefore, they're putting a very high onus on the veteran to show that these are in fact legitimate claims.
Especially when we deal with post-traumatic stress, I still think there's a culture that we don't believe it in many cases and we feel the candidate may simply be looking for some money after having done a tour of duty and not having secured income on returning to Canada. That's an uphill battle, especially for people who.... It is worsening their situation to have to show that they're sick over and over again.
My background is in the policing world, and when something happens to an officer, the organizations rally around that person. When I look at the soldiers, although I'm an outsider looking in, I see it as very adversarial in many cases. The soldier who is disabled now is almost on trial as to why they're asking for this government assistance. In cases of amputation, it's clear, but when you start to get into mental health, the lines get very blurry.
I think sometimes you get a caseworker who is sympathetic to you and things will go well, but if you get one that's skeptical, all things are going to end and you're going to end up appealing, and that process.... We have seen people who have been in the same vehicle as those who have been injured, yet they've had two different settlement packages.
Maybe....