Terms of Service

1. Service Description

VCS is an AI-powered benefits research and analysis platform. The platform operates in two modes:

1.1 Veteran Users (B2C)

Individual veterans use VCS to research VA disability benefits, analyze rating criteria, identify potential secondary conditions, explore benefit eligibility, and access educational tools for understanding the VA claims process. Veterans may optionally install our Chrome browser extension to synchronize publicly available data from their VA.gov account into the VCS platform.

1.2 Law Firm & Attorney Users (B2B)

VA-accredited attorneys and law firms use VCS as a professional research tool to support their legal practice. The B2B platform provides client management, case analysis, C-File review and AI-assisted briefing, VA form drafting, document templates, secure messaging, and AI-powered legal research tools. Law firms access veteran client data only with the veteran's explicit consent through an authorized client relationship.

1.3 What VCS Is Not

• VCS is not a law firm, and does not provide legal representation or legal advice
• VCS is not a VA-accredited claims agent or Veterans Service Organization (VSO)
• VCS is not a healthcare provider or medical advisor
• VCS is not affiliated with the VA, DoD, or any government agency
• VCS does not act as a representative, agent, or fiduciary for any user

2. Role of VCS and Accredited Representatives

Under federal law (38 USC §5901–5905), only VA-accredited attorneys, claims agents, and Veterans Service Organizations may provide representation to claimants before the Department of Veterans Affairs. VCS does not provide representation. VCS is a technology platform — a research and analysis tool.

For veteran users: VCS provides informational research tools. When you use VCS to draft forms, analyze ratings, or explore claim strategies, you are using a software tool for your own research purposes. Any forms generated are drafts for your review. You are the filer. VCS does not submit claims on your behalf or act as your representative before the VA. We recommend consulting with a VA-accredited attorney, claims agent, or VSO (such as the VFW, DAV, or American Legion) for claims representation.

For attorney and law firm users: VCS is a professional tool used by VA-accredited attorneys and law firms in the course of their own legal practice. The accredited attorney or firm — not VCS — is the veteran's representative. The attorney or firm is solely responsible for the legal advice they provide, the accuracy of filings they submit, and their compliance with VA accreditation rules, ethical obligations, and all applicable law. VCS makes no representation about the suitability of any AI-generated analysis for a particular legal matter.

3. Disclaimer of Professional Services

The information VCS provides is generated by artificial intelligence based on publicly available regulatory information, including 38 CFR, the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD), M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual, GI Bill eligibility rules, and related sources. While we strive for accuracy, AI-generated analysis can contain errors, omissions, or outdated information.

We are not responsible for claim outcomes. VA decisions are made solely by the Department of Veterans Affairs based on the evidence submitted by the claimant or their accredited representative. VCS analysis does not constitute a claim filing and does not create any obligation on the part of the VA.

Any recommendations, analyses, or outputs we provide — regarding conditions to claim, evidence to gather, ratings to expect, secondary conditions, appeal strategies, or benefit eligibility — are informational research outputs only. Actual outcomes will vary based on individual circumstances, evidence quality, and VA adjudication.

You should independently verify all regulatory citations, diagnostic codes, rating criteria, and legal references provided by VCS before relying on them for any filing, legal argument, or decision. AI systems can hallucinate, misapply rules, or reference outdated authorities.

4. Account Terms

4.1 General Account Terms

• You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account and use VCS.
• You must provide accurate, complete, and current information when creating your account and when using the service.
• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials. Do not share your password with anyone. VCS will never ask you for your password.
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• One account per person. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent subscription limits or any other restriction is prohibited and may result in termination of all associated accounts.

4.2 Organizational Accounts (Law Firms)

• An organization account represents a law firm or legal practice. The individual who creates the organization is the “Owner” and is responsible for the organization's compliance with these Terms.
• The Owner may invite team members (attorneys and staff) to join the organization. The Owner is responsible for team members' use of the platform and for ensuring that all team members comply with these Terms.
• Each team member must have their own individual account. Shared login credentials are prohibited.
• The Owner is responsible for promptly removing team members who leave the firm or whose access should be revoked.
• The organization is responsible for maintaining its own VA accreditation, bar admissions, and compliance with all applicable professional conduct rules. VCS does not verify accreditation status.

5. Subscription & Payment

VCS offers multiple subscription tiers for individual veteran users and for law firm organizations. Current plan details, including pricing and features, are listed on our pricing page. By subscribing, you authorize us to charge your payment method on a recurring basis (monthly or annually, depending on the plan selected) until you cancel.

• Free Tier: VCS offers a limited free tier with restricted access. Free tier users are subject to message limits and feature restrictions as described on the pricing page.
• Cancellation: You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings or the Stripe customer portal. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period, and you will retain access to the service until that date.
• Refunds: We do not provide refunds for partial billing periods or unused portions of a subscription period.
• Price Changes: We reserve the right to change our subscription pricing. We will provide at least 30 days' written notice via email before any price increase takes effect. Continued use of the service after a price change constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.
• Law Firm Billing: Law firm organization subscriptions are billed separately from individual veteran subscriptions. Seat-based pricing applies per the plan selected. The organization Owner is responsible for payment.

Payment is processed by Stripe, Inc. By providing payment information, you agree to Stripe's Terms of Service. VCS does not store credit card numbers, expiration dates, CVVs, or other raw payment card data.

6. Chrome Browser Extension

VCS offers an optional Chrome browser extension that, when installed and authorized, synchronizes data from your VA.gov account into the VCS platform. By installing and using the extension, you agree to the following:

• Data Collection: When you are logged in to VA.gov, the extension reads data from VA.gov API endpoints, including your claims, rated disabilities, appeals, payment history, service history, intent-to-file records, benefit letter eligibility, debts, dependents, and document metadata. This data is transmitted to and stored on the VCS platform to power your personalized analysis.
• Automatic Sync: The extension periodically synchronizes data (approximately every 5 minutes while VA.gov is open) and on certain page navigation events. You can also trigger a manual sync at any time.
• Authentication: The extension uses your existing VA.gov session cookies to access your data. VCS never receives or stores your VA.gov username or password.
• Permissions: The extension requires browser permissions including storage, tabs, web requests, cookies, and scripting on VA.gov and VCS domains. These permissions are necessary for the extension to function and are used only for the purposes described here.
• Uninstall: You may uninstall the extension at any time. Data already synced to VCS will remain in your account until you delete it or delete your account.

The extension is provided as a convenience. VCS is fully functional without it — you can manually enter your veteran profile information instead.

7. Law Firm & Attorney Terms

This section applies to users who access VCS through a law firm or legal organization account, including Owners, attorneys, and legal staff.

7.1 Professional Responsibility

You acknowledge that you, your firm, and your attorneys — not VCS — are solely responsible for all legal advice, filings, representations, and professional services provided to veteran clients. VCS is a technology tool. Use of VCS does not create an attorney-client relationship between VCS and any veteran. The attorney-client relationship exists between the law firm and the veteran.

7.2 Client Data Access & Consent

• You may access veteran client data only through an authorized Client Relationship that the veteran has accepted.
• The veteran grants access by accepting an invitation you send and consenting to specific data scopes. VCS records consent provenance (timestamp, IP address, browser information).
• You must access only the minimum data necessary for the purpose of your representation, consistent with the scopes granted.
• Veterans may revoke your access at any time. Upon revocation, you must cease accessing the veteran's data through VCS immediately.
• You are responsible for complying with all applicable privacy laws, HIPAA requirements, and professional conduct rules in your handling of veteran client data obtained through VCS.

7.3 HIPAA Obligations

When law firms (as Covered Entities or Business Associates under HIPAA) use VCS to process Protected Health Information (PHI) of veteran clients, VCS acts as a Business Associate. Separate Business Associate Agreement(s) govern VCS's obligations with respect to PHI. If your firm requires a BAA and one has not been executed, contact us at legal@veteranhq.app before processing PHI through the platform.

7.4 C-File Upload & Document Processing

• You are responsible for ensuring that you have proper authorization to upload any veteran's C-File or other documents to VCS.
• Uploaded C-Files are stored in encrypted cloud storage and processed using AI for extraction, classification, and analysis.
• AI-generated C-File briefings, case analyses, and document summaries are provided as research aids. You must independently verify all findings, citations, and conclusions before relying on them in legal proceedings.
• You are responsible for the security and proper handling of any documents, drafts, or analyses you download or export from VCS.

7.5 VA Form Drafting & E-Signature

VCS can generate draft VA forms (including 21-526EZ, 20-0996, 20-0995, 10182, 21-22a, 21-0966, 21-0781, 21-4138, and 21-8940) pre-populated with data from the veteran's profile and VA sync records. These are drafts for attorney review. The attorney is responsible for verifying all form content before submission. VCS's e-signature feature facilitates signature collection but does not constitute VCS filing or submitting any form to the VA. The submitting attorney or veteran is the filer.

7.6 Integrations (Clio, DocuSign)

VCS integrates with third-party services including Clio (practice management sync) and DocuSign (fee agreement e-signature). When you connect these integrations, you authorize VCS to exchange data with these services on your behalf in accordance with their respective terms of service. VCS stores integration credentials in encrypted form. You are responsible for maintaining your own subscriptions to and compliance with the terms of these third-party services.

8. Acceptable Use

You agree to use VCS only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You must not:

• Use the platform to prepare, support, or submit fraudulent VA claims or exaggerated claims that do not accurately reflect conditions or service history.
• Upload documents you do not own or do not have authorization to process.
• Access another user's data without proper authorization through the platform's consent mechanisms.
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise probe our AI systems, algorithms, or any proprietary components of the platform.
• Share, sell, or transfer your account access to any other person.
• Use automated tools, bots, or scrapers to access the service at a rate or volume that would interfere with normal platform operation.
• Attempt to circumvent any access controls, rate limits, subscription limits, or security measures.
• Use VCS outputs (analyses, reports, form drafts) as commercial products for resale, or redistribute them as a competing service.
• Misrepresent VCS as providing legal advice, medical advice, or VA representation.

9. Intellectual Property

VCS owns all rights, title, and interest in and to the VCS platform, including our website, software, AI systems, analysis tools, algorithms, design, and all related intellectual property. Nothing in these Terms grants you any rights to our intellectual property except the limited right to use the service as described herein.

You retain full ownership of all documents you upload to VCS. By uploading documents, you grant VCS a limited, non-exclusive, revocable license to process, analyze, and store those documents solely for the purpose of providing the service to you. This license terminates when you delete the documents or close your account.

AI-generated analyses, recommendations, reports, form drafts, and case briefings produced by VCS based on your data are provided to you under a personal, non-transferable license for your individual or organizational use. You may use these outputs in the course of your VA claims process or legal practice, but you may not resell or redistribute VCS outputs as standalone commercial products or services.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties. In those jurisdictions, the above exclusions apply to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.

11. Limitation of Liability

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain exclusions or limitations of liability. In those jurisdictions, our liability will be limited to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.

12. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Veteran Claim Services, its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, and licensors from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or relating to:

• Your use of the service in violation of these Terms;
• Your violation of any applicable law, regulation, or professional conduct rule;
• Any documents or content you upload to the platform;
• Any misrepresentation you make in connection with your use of the service;
• Any claim by a third party (including a veteran client) arising from legal advice, filings, or representations you provide using VCS as a tool;
• Your failure to obtain proper consent or authorization before accessing another person's data through the platform.

This indemnification obligation survives termination of your account and these Terms.

13. Dispute Resolution & Arbitration

13.1 Informal Resolution

Before initiating any formal dispute proceeding, you agree to first contact us at legal@veteranhq.app and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least thirty (30) days. Most disputes can be resolved without formal proceedings.

13.2 Binding Arbitration

If we cannot resolve a dispute informally, you and VCS agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the use of the service shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules (for individual users) or Commercial Arbitration Rules (for organizational accounts). The arbitration shall take place in the State of Delaware or, at the election of the claimant, via telephone, video conference, or written submissions. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

13.3 Class Action Waiver

13.4 Exceptions

Notwithstanding the above, either party may seek injunctive or equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent the actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation, or violation of intellectual property rights or confidential information. Claims for amounts within the jurisdiction of small claims court may also be brought in small claims court instead of arbitration.

13.5 Opt-Out

You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by sending written notice to legal@veteranhq.app within thirty (30) days of creating your account. The notice must include your name, email address, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out of arbitration. If you opt out, disputes will be resolved in accordance with Section 14.

14. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

For disputes not subject to arbitration (see Section 13), you and VCS consent to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the State of Delaware. You waive any objection to venue in such courts.

15. Termination

You may terminate your account at any time by canceling your subscription and deleting your account through your account settings, or by contacting us at support@veteranhq.app.

We may suspend or terminate your access to VCS at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice. Grounds for termination include, but are not limited to: violation of these Terms, fraudulent activity, abuse of the platform, nonpayment, or any conduct that we reasonably believe is harmful to VCS, other users, or third parties.

Upon termination, your right to use the service ceases immediately. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including Disclaimers, Limitation of Liability, Indemnification, Arbitration, and General Provisions) shall survive.

16. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. For material changes, we will provide at least thirty (30) days' advance notice via email before the new Terms take effect. We will also update the effective date at the top of this page. Your continued use of VCS after the effective date of updated Terms constitutes your acceptance of those changes. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must cancel your subscription and stop using the service before the effective date.

17. General Provisions

• Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, any applicable Business Associate Agreement, and any other agreements expressly referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and VCS regarding your use of the service, and supersede all prior agreements, understandings, and communications, whether written or oral.
• Severability: If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court or arbitrator of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or if modification is not possible, severed from these Terms. The remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
• Waiver: The failure of VCS to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by VCS to be effective.
• Assignment: You may not assign or transfer these Terms or any rights or obligations hereunder without VCS's prior written consent. VCS may assign these Terms in whole or in part at any time without notice, including in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets.
• Force Majeure: VCS shall not be liable for any delay or failure to perform resulting from causes outside our reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, pandemic, government action, power failure, internet disruption, or third-party service provider outages.
• Notices: Notices to you may be sent to the email address associated with your account. Notices to VCS must be sent to legal@veteranhq.app.
• Headings: Section headings are for convenience only and have no legal effect.

18. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at: