VA LOOKING FOR MY STR's---HELP!!!

[Raza2009]

Good morning. I had filed a FDC in August. This is my first claim and I claimed everything that happened in my 29 years of service. I uploaded copies of what I was smart enough to keep throughout the years but I have no idea where my medical records are at. I spent 13 years RA and 16 years USAR and my medical records are NO where to be found. I received a letter from the VA yesterday letting me know they were requesting my STR's and if I had a copy to turn them in. I don't have anything more than what I uploaded into the EBENEFIT site when I originally filed the claim. What happens if they do not find my full(even partial I would be happy with) STR's? Will they go by the evidence I uploaded or do you think they will deny it all? I have copies of my LOD's and all admin documents as well as some of the copies of treatment and I uploaded all of it.

 

Any advice would be appreciated. BTW my medical records from RA have been missing since 1988. I hope that they find those!

[Berta]

I assume you mean you requested them from NARA on a SF 180 and they said they were not there?

NARA --------------- https://www.archives.gov/

Or did VA say NARA didnt have them? If so, I would try NARA .Maybe VA never attempted to get them.

On the SF 180 ask for all Medical and Personnel records.You will need to print off the bar coded thing and then sign, copy and mail it to where the site tells you to.*

Make sure they know you want both the RA and AR records.

*(unless their NARA format has changed )

Edited December 16, 2016 by Berta

[MikeHunt]

If you have LOD; slam dunk.

You'll now need a clinician to to:

1. Agree there's a current disability

and

2. Say that disability is connected to your service.

The VA might not rate the LOD claims  if they don't have all the records, but they won't deny.

I vaguely understood reservists' records are kept at different areas than active records- Unlike active duty, the armory keeps them while you're still drilling. The records may be in transit, or both you and the VA clerk may have contacted the wrong location for those records.

[Buck52]

Raza2009

Not sure what your claim is about

But while you wait for your records to be found and sent to you, you can put a lay statement together  detailing what happen to you that caused your in service injury or disease.

If you can write out a detail statement of the location and dates or as close to it as possible  name your unit you was with your company commander, 1st Sgt ect,,ect,,,  get the location and dates close as you can, any buddy statements via emails.

if they (VA) can verify your accounts & the event on these dates  this will help substantiate your claim. 

[broncovet]

 

Write or email where you were treated (hospital or clinc).  Ask them.  Dont depend on VA to get them for you, when they get paid for losing them.  Not exactly, but it sure does save them money when you can not prove your claim.  

Keep in mind the Caluza triangle and focus:

1.  Current diagnosis

2.  In service event or aggravation

3.  Link, or nexus between these 2.  

    If you have all these, your smr's need not be complete, per se.  Focus on these, they are "what is important" to being SC for your condition.    Did you notice that you dont have to have a diagnosis in service?  You need only documentation of an "event" that led to your current diagnosis in service.    Of the items above, only number 2 applies "in service".  You get your "current diagnosis" from a doc today, as well as a doctors statment that "its at least as likely as not your (current diagnosis) was caused from "your event" in service (or aggravation).  

Edited December 17, 2016 by broncovet