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I think I am going to need help after all!!!

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ADodge

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I became disabled in 1997.  It never dawned on me to file with the VA for compensation.  I filed with Social Security and was approved.  For years I have struggled on get getting by with my family at times.  Then recently when things got real bad a friend said I should go see the VSO in our city. Maybe I could get some help from them.  So I did and come to find out there was a Veterans program in the state that helps out disabled Vets.  He also suggested that I file for a service related disability claim.  He gave me the paper work, I filled it out and he sent it in.  I really didn't think much would come of it since so much time had passed and just figured the Navy would deny everything.  Months went by I forgot about having filed and suddenly I got a letter from the VA asking me to come in for an exam and also giving me more information about registering on the ebenefits site.  So I did all that went in for the exam. during this time I also filed for other service connected injuries.  From the time I sent my initial claim in to the time it was approve it was all of 9 months I guess. And I was approved at 60%.  That was for the lung condition and everything else was rejected??? Well I really haven't thought much about that, thinking that the claim was approved so quickly that I really didn't have time to send all the necessary information into them.  But after reading a lot of these inquiries and questions on this site and also other sites I am beginning to get the real picture here.  See it did seem rather strange to me that the lung disability was approved right away with the information the had which given some of the other claims that were service related and happened around the same time as the damage to my lungs so the initial medical history would be in my old navy health record same place where they found the information regarding the damage to my lungs.  So why reject those claims?  The information is right there and the civilian doctors I see and am treated by are all at the same hospital where they also have my permission and those doctors names to contact and get medical histories and information from.  So now I am asking myself why didn't they schedule appointments for me to be seen and checked out back then for those injuries too?   I went on the ebenifits site and looked up some info for medical interview and found some really screwy information pertaining to the medical exam or interview I had at the VA.  The person I saw or the person who filled out those forms stated that there was no reason why I couldn't work!!! That there was only one lung condition when in fact  I have 3 lung conditions I take medicine for and am treated for.  Social Security doesn't even think I can work!!!!  So what the hell was that person's issue.  But when I think about it, no one ever asked me anything about working.

So this is my question.  I was going to get someone to help me when I refiled or reopened my cases this second time.  but then thought well I just take it as it goes.  But now I am realizing that is NOT a GOOD IDEA!!!   When I tried to find someone other than an Attorney in my area (North Shore of Boston) I couldn't find anyone.  So I was wondering if there is someone on this site that knows of a person that is not an attorney in this area that can help me.  Or if you know of a Lawyer that can actually be trusted???  (Oxymoron word!) to help me with my case.  I just know it is going to get real messy and I just don't have the strength to fight city hall by myself anymore!!! Know what I mean? Thanks  to anyone with any kind of advice.  AMD

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  • HadIt.com Elder

I became disabled in 1997.  It never dawned on me to file with the VA for compensation.  I filed with Social Security and was approved.  For years I have struggled on get getting by with my family at times.  Then recently when things got real bad a friend said I should go see the VSO in our city. Maybe I could get some help from them.  So I did and come to find out there was a Veterans program in the state that helps out disabled Vets.  He also suggested that I file for a service related disability claim.  He gave me the paper work, I filled it out and he sent it in.  I really didn't think much would come of it since so much time had passed and just figured the Navy would deny everything.  Months went by I forgot about having filed and suddenly I got a letter from the VA asking me to come in for an exam and also giving me more information about registering on the ebenefits site.  So I did all that went in for the exam. during this time I also filed for other service connected injuries.  From the time I sent my initial claim in to the time it was approve it was all of 9 months I guess. And I was approved at 60%.  That was for the lung condition and everything else was rejected??? Well I really haven't thought much about that, thinking that the claim was approved so quickly that I really didn't have time to send all the necessary information into them.  But after reading a lot of these inquiries and questions on this site and also other sites I am beginning to get the real picture here.  See it did seem rather strange to me that the lung disability was approved right away with the information the had which given some of the other claims that were service related and happened around the same time as the damage to my lungs so the initial medical history would be in my old navy health record same place where they found the information regarding the damage to my lungs.  So why reject those claims?  The information is right there and the civilian doctors I see and am treated by are all at the same hospital where they also have my permission and those doctors names to contact and get medical histories and information from.  So now I am asking myself why didn't they schedule appointments for me to be seen and checked out back then for those injuries too?   I went on the ebenifits site and looked up some info for medical interview and found some really screwy information pertaining to the medical exam or interview I had at the VA.  The person I saw or the person who filled out those forms stated that there was no reason why I couldn't work!!! That there was only one lung condition when in fact  I have 3 lung conditions I take medicine for and am treated for.  Social Security doesn't even think I can work!!!!  So what the hell was that person's issue.  But when I think about it, no one ever asked me anything about working.

So this is my question.  I was going to get someone to help me when I refiled or reopened my cases this second time.  but then thought well I just take it as it goes.  But now I am realizing that is NOT a GOOD IDEA!!!   When I tried to find someone other than an Attorney in my area (North Shore of Boston) I couldn't find anyone.  So I was wondering if there is someone on this site that knows of a person that is not an attorney in this area that can help me.  Or if you know of a Lawyer that can actually be trusted???  (Oxymoron word!) to help me with my case.  I just know it is going to get real messy and I just don't have the strength to fight city hall by myself anymore!!! Know what I mean? Thanks  to anyone with any kind of advice.  AMD

"So what the hell was that person's issue.  But when I think about it, no one ever asked me anything about working."

Unfortunately, the C&P examiners seem to be evaluated (under the table) based upon denials not awards, and the number of C&Ps rather than the quality.

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I have requested a Complete copy of my service Record.  I have decided that doing this is the one best course of action I can take for myself at this point in time.  I was not able to access my record on line and was directed to fill out a form, sign it and either FAX it to a given # or mail it to Saint Louis!!!  

SO now I will just hurry up and wait!!

LMAO!!! :lol:

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Did you also request your service medical record and C-file?

You should be used to the whole hurry up and wait idea! It's the Fed gov''t way! 

Semper Fi.

Andyman

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  • HadIt.com Elder

I have requested a Complete copy of my service Record.  I have decided that doing this is the one best course of action I can take for myself at this point in time.  I was not able to access my record on line and was directed to fill out a form, sign it and either FAX it to a given # or mail it to Saint Louis!!!  

SO now I will just hurry up and wait!!

LMAO!!! :lol:

"hurry up and wait"  That's the VA's typical mode. You hurry, then wait while they take their time. While your records are likely located at St. Louis, since you are a disabled veteran, they will be in the VA's custody at St. Louis, assuming that they are there.  The electronics record scheme seems to be still in change.  Recently some veteran's have been given a copy on a CD/DVD. (SSA was doing that ten years ago!) It's interesting that even with an ebenefits veteran's "full" access account, you cannot "see" the electronic C file records. In fact, even the paper copy sent to veterans in the past was often "redacted", and not the full file.  Even worse, it seems that the only record of many VA disability decisions was contained in the veterans paper "C" file. In or about 2008, a massive effort was made by the VA to remove information from veteran's C files. The VA did so for reasons that I'd consider dubious, and seemed to involve information that was not complementary to the VA's claims handling methodology. I suppose the excuse was a combination of getting ready for the upcoming digitization and electronic records, and an effort to reduce the sheer size of the paper files stored at the VARO's.

What bothers me the most is that the integrity of federal records and accuracy was likely impacted.  That's arguably a criminal matter.

A few years ago, the ST Louis military service custodians were complaining that the physical records then in use (Evidently the master file)

was sent to the VA per the then active procedures, and came back incomplete.

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I had never made a claim and they had lost 9 months of my records out of the middle of my file.  Cant understand how they did it, but I am not surprised.  They should have put it all on microfiche, then they could have had a semi-automated system of putting them into a digital or jpg format for access.

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I have requested a Complete copy of my service Record.  I have decided that doing this is the one best course of action I can take for myself at this point in time.  I was not able to access my record on line and was directed to fill out a form, sign it and either FAX it to a given # or mail it to Saint Louis!!!  

SO now I will just hurry up and wait!!

LMAO!!! :lol:

I would make a call to a senior congressional or senatorial office staffer. If you request your records from the VA Archive (as I did in March) you'll be waiting for a LONG TIME. My congressional staffer got all of my records scanned, retrieved from the Caves, scanned and onto CD's sent to his office within a week. I am one of the "lucky" Female Veteran's that became a Dependent the day after I separated, so my records were stored in 2 different places (under 2 different SSN's).

I learned from others on this forum as well as other Veteran co-workers that you have to "spoon feed" your medical documentation to VBA for consideration. Even though my records are all easy to view NOW from their desktop via VBMS, more than likely the VSR won't take the time to scan through the thousands of pages to locate the evidence contained there. So I made PDF files of everything I needed to use during a C&P exam if I ever get that far. My claim was closed in March 15 for "lack of documentation"......hence year long fight to gather all my documentation so I have plenty of ammo whenever this initial claim ever gets completed. I have my next claim ready to go !

While going through my records, I realized how most of the information in there I have no memory of now. Pretty scary stuff.

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