A US Army veteran used a for-profit consultant firm named 'Trajector Medical' to process his VA disability benefits claim. After weeks went by, he then cancelled their services and used a non-profit advocacy group to process his claim.

When the VA finally rated him 70% disabled, qualifying him for free health care and a monthly disability check, the Soldier then heard back from "Trajector Medical" in the form of a bill for $4,500. The disabled veteran had no idea how the company even knew he'd gotten a decision from VA as he cancelled his service with them.

NPR discovered there are other such nefarious companies ruthlessly taking advantage of disabled veterans known as "claim sharks," using hi-tech and robo-calls to sleuth out their marks, all supposedly legal.

There are approximately 5.5 million US veterans with a service-connected disability as of Aug 2024. In 2023, about 30% of the 18.5 million veterans in the US had service-connected disabilities.

Remarkably, Secretary of Veteran's Affairs Douglas Allen Collins has served as a chaplain in the USAF Reserve since 2002, and was promoted to Colonel in 2023.