A decision this week by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has paved the way for attorneys to—for the first time ever—bring class action lawsuits on behalf of veterans.

Wednesday's 3-0 landmark ruling by the federal circuit in Washington, D.C., revolved around a Connecticut veteran, but its implication will affect attorneys and veterans nationwide.

“For a long time, veterans were the only group of people not allowed to bring class action suits because their claims were funneled, by law, through the CAVC [U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims]. Attorneys can now file class actions on behalf of veterans because of what this court did,” said Mario Gazzola, a law student intern with the Yale Law School Veterans Legal Services Clinic. “This allows groups action in seeking group justice. The ruling has definitely opened up a lot of avenues for vets to get redress for legal issues.”