that: a low evidentiary threshold is particularly appropriate in the veterans context because in the early stages of the application process, the veteran is almost always unassisted by legal counsel. See 38 U.S.C. § 5904(c)(1) (attorneys and agents prevented from charging for services rendered pri- or to date of final decision from BVA). Since significant if not essential evidence regarding the merits of a claim often resides in the DVA’s files, it would be fundamentally unfair to erect a steep evidentiary hurdle in front of an unassisted veteran before allowing the veteran to receive assistance from the DVA. The low threshold is also appropriate in light of the uniquely pro-claimant nature of the veterans compensation system. See Hodge v. West, 155 F.3d 1356, 1362-64 (Fed.Cir.1998) (<HOLDING>); Hayre v. West, 188 F.3d 1327, 1333-34
holding that a claim that is constitutional in name only does not create jurisdiction over an appeal from the veterans court recognizing nonadversarial and proclaimant character of veterans benefits adjudication holding that a plantshutdown benefit is not an optional form of benefit recognizing that the veterans benefit system is uniquely proclaimant holding that the interpretation of a veterans filings is a factual inquiry