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Secondary Or Bilateral? & Being More Specific

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Draggin'

Question

Preparing to send in for NOD and reconsideration at the same time.

I have a lot of conditions, a lot of weird percentage awards, and a lot of denials and I'm trying to make sense of it all. So far I have an 80% rating (schedular).

Initially we were working with a VSO. The VSO went over all of my medical problems with me and worded the initial claim for us. As suggested by the VSO I claimed everything I was having problems with before seeing the doctors, and therefore did not have firm disabilities assigned to the problems/symptoms. So some conditions initially claimed are vague. Now I find myself having to ask for reconsideration and turning in NOD(s?).

To be specific...

I put in a claim for:

Finger pain with swelling - they looked all fingers (found problems) but I only recieved SC comp for one finger (one that was scarred in service). In my NOD can I get them to consider all of my fingers?

Same thing happened with one knee (left), one ankle (right) and one shoulder.

Is it common for the VA to separate such things?

Thanks

Edited by Draggin'
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I recently re-read this and edited it in the hopes that it would make more sense.

I also realized that the opposite knee/ankle may be considered bilateral...although I don't remember seeing that in my award letter.

Thanks

Draggin'

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Preparing to send in for NOD and reconsideration at the same time.

Draggin - you are going to muck up your claim issues trying to do both at the same time,

that's not the way it works, although we would like it to.

You either do a request for reconsideration with additional evidence OR a timely NOD.

Initially we were working with a VSO. The VSO went over all of my medical problems with me and worded the initial claim for us. As suggested by the VSO I claimed everything I was having problems with before seeing the doctors, and therefore did not have firm disabilities assigned to the problems/symptoms. So some conditions initially claimed are vague. Now I find myself having to ask for reconsideration and turning in NOD(s?).

To be specific...

I put in a claim for:

Finger pain with swelling - they looked all fingers (found problems) but I only recieved SC comp for one finger (one that was scarred in service). In my NOD can I get them to consider all of my fingers?

Draggin - what exactly did the decision state in the Reasons and Bases Section ?

Same thing happened with one knee (left), one ankle (right) and one shoulder.

Is it common for the VA to separate such things?

Draggin - Each one of those is a separate issue.

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Sorry, I thought I had edited out the reconsideration part.

Service connection for other problems were denied on a "direct" basis.

I can see how each condition would be separate unless there is an encompassing general reason for the disabilities, like arthritis, etc.

Thanks for the input and help!

Draggin'

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Draggin,

I just went back over some of your other posts regarding reconsideration and NOD's.

If this is in response to your Oct 1, 2009 rating decision you have

NO TIME left for a request for Reconsideration

and

I certainly hope - for your sake that you are going to deliver your NOD to your VARO

IN PERSON and get a date stamped copy.

You pretty much have no time for anything else, other than that, except to fax it.

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Yes, I realize that there is NO time for a reconsideration and as I said just a second ago, I meant to edit that part out, since you had mentioned it on another post I had up!

Thank you for clarifying this though. I had just thought that a reconsideration was a good idea, but now realize that there has to be enough time for it to even happen.

I am going to my regional office in person and having it stamped, and will probably fax a copy too AND will also probably send a certified copy in the mail.

Just curious....Doesn't it just have to be postmarked by the cut off date?

Thanks

Draggin'

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