June 2026 | Buffalo, New York
If you are a veteran in Western New York, a federal court ruling from last month deserves your attention even if you have never heard of the company at the center of it.
On May 20, 2026, a federal judge in North Carolina ruled that Veterans Guardian VA Claim Consulting, LLC was operating in violation of federal law. The company had been charging veterans including first-time filers large contingency fees for help preparing and submitting VA disability claims, all while arguing it was exempt from the accreditation rules that govern everyone else who does that work. The court didn’t buy it.
The decision matters because Veterans Guardian is not alone. It represents a category of business that has spread rapidly across the country in recent years, and the veterans being harmed by it are real people, many of them right here in Western New York.
What the law actually says
Federal law has been on the books for decades: anyone who helps a veteran prepare or present a VA disability claim must be accredited by the VA. That accreditation process is not a formality. It involves background checks, a written examination, continuing education, and rules about what fees can be charged and when. For initial claims when a veteran is applying for benefits for the first time, accredited agents and attorneys cannot collect any fee at all. Zero.
Veterans Guardian charged five times a veteran’s monthly benefit increase as its fee, on initial claims included. In one case the court reviewed, a first-time applicant who received a 100 percent disability rating was billed for more than $21,000. An accredited attorney doing that same work would have billed nothing.
The company’s defense was that it was only a “consultant,” not an “agent.” To support that argument, it structured its process carefully: it prepared all the paperwork but had veterans mail it themselves. It even instructed veterans not to tell the VA they were working with Veterans Guardian.
The judge was not persuaded. What matters under the law, the court held, is what you actually do, not what you call yourself. Veterans Guardian investigated claims, gathered evidence, filled out forms, assembled claim packets, and directed veterans through the submission process. That is preparing and presenting a claim. That makes you an agent. And agents must be accredited.
Why this industry grew in the first place
The companies are sometimes called “claim sharks” and we use that term deliberately, because it is accurate and did not emerge from nowhere. They identified a real gap. The VA claims process is genuinely confusing. Veterans Service Organizations offer free help, but resources are stretched, and service can be uneven. The need for knowledgeable, dedicated guidance is real.
These companies filled that gap by spending heavily on social media advertising, promising results, and making the process feel easy. Behind the glossy ads and the “we fight for you” language, though, the business model depends on volume and fees, not outcomes. Some of these services have required veterans to grant access to their bank accounts, so payment can be collected directly. Some have pushed veterans to file large numbers of claims at once, a strategy that can expose veterans to fraud accusations if the underlying basis for those claims isn’t solid. The advice is often poor because the people giving it are not qualified to give it.
What comes next
The Ford v. Veterans Guardian ruling is a significant step, but it is not the last word. The company will almost certainly appeal. Class certification which would determine remedies for the veterans in the case still needs to be decided. And there are other companies running similar models who are watching the outcome carefully.
What the ruling does establish, clearly, is the legal framework: these companies are acting as agents, and doing so without accreditation violates federal law. State attorneys general, the VA, and Congress are all potential next actors.
For now, if you are a veteran in Western New York, the most important thing to know is this: you have legitimate options that cost you nothing upfront, come with legal accountability, and put an actual attorney in your corner. If you have already signed an agreement with a non-accredited consulting company or if you are wondering whether someone who helped you file a claim was doing so legally, we are glad to talk through your situation.
Hiller Comerford has represented veterans in Buffalo and across Western New York for more than 27 years. We are VA-accredited. We do not charge fees on initial VA claims. And when we take your case, we handle it ourselves start to finish.
Call us. The conversation is free.
Start with our VA Disability Benefits Calculator.
