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@Spaceace1954 Congratulations! That's a step in the right direction. By chance, was yours a legacy appeal?

Hello PacmanX1 Thanks for the info I will be looking forward to see the answer. Its only been 5 yrs. so a few more months should be a breeze, lol

Once the BVA grants service connection it can be returned to the regional office or the DROC-DC or even the intake center. You should get your notification letter from the BVA in a few weeks to a few months and you should get your official notification letter rating your disabilities and effective dates and any retroactive pay due. Pay close attention to both of these in each disability. If you disagree with anything you are going to have to file a new appeal.

Hello all I just received notice online that my 4 remands that the VARO denied after QTC records review and then returned to BVA were all approved by the BVA today. Who awards the percentage for these claims? Currently nothing showing in ebenefits. Thanks for any info.

Keep in mind that the call center people (800-827-1000) are not cleared to see your whole claim- there are limits to the information they can provide, and they aren't trained to work on claims so there are big pieces of the process that they legitimately wouldn't know. They can read our notes, input noters for us, and provide directions to the correct places to call/talk to, and discuss things like what form(s) you need for whatever action. There is a separate avenue for information called VERA which has RO personnel that work within it- they can get a lot more hands-on with somethings. Google VERA and you should find the page to set up an appointment via phone or in person if you ever need to.

Thanks a bunch guys, I was trying to do this on the computer and getting nowhere. In the middle of throwing things and filling the swear jar I got a call from vet services. Unknown to me my VSO on April 17th had applied for a increase for my PTSD, which had just increased from 50-70%. a few months ago. Anyway I have a P&T appointment May 2nd, lightening quick. I called the 800 number and a few minutes on the phone with a nice lady and everything is taken care of. I will put them on speed dial. Thanks again

IMHO, you can fill out the form yourself and send it into the VA. Make sure that you note on the form that the company or agency went out of business. You can use block 14A and block 22. This way the VA won't take forever to begin to process your claim. Not sure how long the VA will wait but by having this form submitted, it should tell the VA that there is no need to wait because the business no longer exists. There is no need to sign and date the form, just make sure you keep copies of it or them. This is what I did, and the VA awarded me two separate retroactive effective dates. I filled the form out as going to the company and then going to the VA.

You can just upload a 4138 or call in to the National Call center (800-827-1000) and tell them. There shouldn't have been a request for it, anyway- if you haven't worked since 1999 its irrelevant. In any case, a claim cannot be denied solely on the lack of returned 4192's, we receive far fewer back than are sent.

Greetings, long time since I been here. Sitting with 90% disability and filed for TDIU through state of Florida VSO. I am unable to get an appointment with VSO for a month. VA told me to send a VA 21-4192 to my former employee. I have not worked for them since 1999 and they have went out of business, I worked in the same place from 1971 to 1999 but for different companys. I am guessing I need to notify the VA of this but how exactly do I notify them? I do not see a chat button or form to fill out. Any input, suggestions or wise cracks appreciated. Jim Semper Fi

Unfortunately, by law, a rater determines what is “enough” or “adequate” or “complete”. Partly why I’m not a rater; 1. I don’t want the drama, 2. I’m better at finding the bread crumbs as a researcher. I’d rather help build as strong a case as I can by mining “your” records- you’d be surprised what’s in there, however subtle, that I can usually add to your already submitted evidence that was overlooked or deemed inconsequential by someone.

Lawyer says they are claiming the last DBQ did not state enough "evidence". Plenty was stated, so not sure what else they think they need. Lawyer did get my appointment changed from in person with a doc with seriously bad reviews to a much better (for me) video appointment with a doc who has much better reviews. I don't know yet what his plans are but he is trying to get the request dropped or at least limited in scope. (thru VA) Considering his over 10 years experience and (according to his website) over $100,000,000 won for vets, I guess he has the experience to know what he is doing. Whatever happens, I will push thru the next DBQ. If I have to go back to the judge, so be it. There are days I want to quit and block it out of my mind. Guess this old corpsman just doesn't know how to quit, or lose without a fight.

I got mine free at a gate to one of the National Parks on a trip through them with my grandchildren the year before COVID by just showing my VA ID. Good for the whole vehicle which was a motor home then. Teton, Yellowstone, the Monuments, Devils Tower, Rushmore, and more.

The Park one cost $10 for a lifetime card. I just got one.

instead of focusing so much on the DBQ you need to have your lawyer look at the exam request itself because within that is the question or questions that are being asked by the rater, which would then be the driver for the new C&P exam. The DBQ‘s may look to be complete, but I see DBQ‘s sometimes that are full of all kinds of things written down as rationale, or citations for medical documents or reports or studies, and other things, but none of it actually addresses what was asked. Kind of like those term papers you write in college every now and then after you’ve had a bad weekend and there’s something due on Monday. You throw literally everything you can add to it and hope that the instructor gets lost in the details without seeing the whole picture, and the simplicity of what was actually being asked. I see this a lot with the swampy type of lawyer firms that basically upfront promise to increase your rating by X etc., etc. and then the documentation that they provide to the ratings people is full of all sorts of legalese and half theories and generally rubberstamp opinions from examiners that they have agreements with or relationships with, but none of it necessarily matches up completely with your service treatment records or your personnel records. The opinions being made are not supported with a decent rationale or citation of the medical records as to why that opinion is being made by the examiner, it just sort of comes out of nowhere.

The VA is required to maximize your benefits. For example, you file a claim for SC neuropathy on you right leg. In the process the VA find out that you have a back a SC back issue that is causing the neuropathy. The VA has a duty to maximize your benefits by seeing if you back condition is. 1. service connected. 2. If so, do the need to SC the condition as secondary to your back and rate the back.

It's ok to vent a little. First let me address the Remanded to RO. When the VA rated me for my PTSD. (It was on a remand) The decision letter from the BVA should list the reason why they are remanding it to the RO. (Someone did not answer the questions right. Or they need more information) In my case I did 2 C & P Exams and a third was requested for a independent medical opinion, (IMO) from the same doc. Maybe brokensoldger244 can add to this but I have been told by the VA if your claim fits certain criteria the system will automatedly request a C & P Exam. I don't know about the acracy to this I will see if I can get him to give some input hear. To answer your question about, "Fishing for someone to disagree with doctors who have been treating me since 2010 and the doc from last C&P so they can deny?" This does happen more than anyone admits to it. If you can catch them in it the following does apply. -VA cannot "develop to deny" a claim. Since I have already submitted a complete package of private evidence, any further development with C&Ps would violate VA policy: "Decision makers may not arbitrarily or capriciously refuse to assign weight to a claimant's evidence or develop with the purpose of obtaining evidence to justify a denial of the claim" (M21-1 Vii..3.B.1.a). This prohibition was emphasized in a law review article published by the BVA: "additional evidence should not be procured for the sole purpose of denying the veteran's claim" (1 Veterans L Rev. 94 (2009)). Even CAVC has strongly affirmed this policy: "Because it would not be permissible for VA to undertake such additional development if a purpose was to obtain evidence against an appellant's case, VA must provide an adequate statement of reasons or bases for its decision to pursue further development where such development reasonably could be construed as obtaining additional evidence for that purpose" (Mariano v Frincipi, 17 Vet. App. 312 (2003)).

I think I was clear, when the regional office denies a veteran’s service connection and the veteran appeals to the BVA. It is very normal for the BVA to only address the issue of service connection. After granting service connection the BVA will then remand the appeal back to the regional office for them to assign it a rating percentage and an effective date. If the veteran disagrees with either the rating percentage and or the assigned effective date, then the veteran would have to file a new appeal back to the BVA. It is what some of us call the hamster wheel, back and forth from the regional office to the BVA and sometimes the CAVC get caught up in this cycle if the BVA denies a veteran’s claim/appeal and the CAVC would/could approve a remand to the BVA and from the BVA to the regional office.

So, to answer your question the decision letters stated the following. 20 percent 20 percent 70 percent 50 percent 30 percent 10 percent This give you an actual combined value of your disability ratings is 95%. Round up to the nearest number it will equal to 100% Schedler rating regardless of if they have ratted you 100% UI T & P. Hadi.com has information on it hear. https://community.hadit.com/va-claims-and-benefits-information/va-disability-calculator-combined-ratings-explained-r4/ At va.gov they have a calculator where you can put the numbers in, and it will tell you your combined rating. https://www.va.gov/disability/about-disability-ratings/

When they remand a claim, it is for further development. This could be for some question that the BVA needs answered or an error in how the RO applied the law in your claim. the BVA may need an updated C&P exam because you stated you had one earlier. Did you get a letter from the BVA? It should state in it what the remand was for.

I totally agree with Vync. I have been treated for pain at the VA for over 20 years. The VA has steadily reduced my pain meds with zero other realistic options for pain control. They gave me anti-depressants. I suffer pain and it has nothing to do with psychological issues. The whole thing is the VA is scared of the DEA. When in doubt throw the vets under the bus.

Hill & Ponton as well as Jan Dils both told me to xxxx off. Apparently, if you are able to work and your rating is just a little too high, they don’t want to take you because your backpay will not be high enough, and it’s not worth their time. This is three in a row, who decided not to help me because I can’t make them enough money. I would really appreciate any recommendations or referrals. I know the market was flooded in the past several years with many lawyers who decided to focus on VA claims because they were making money, but this is a little ridiculous They all pretend they want to help veterans, but we are just a means to an end for them.

I get your frustration. I had several DBQ's done outside the VA (no lawyer, because I was pretty versed in the CFR). My DBQ's were way better and more thorough than any of the VA DBQ exams. One of my examiners was a former QTC guy with over 20,000 exams to his resume. The other was a QTC DBQ instructor. Kind of knows what they are doing so to say, yet they asked for additional C&P's. I pissed off one QTC examiner with these outside exams. She did a hack job C&P exam to counter mine. I reported it to the VARO. Got several more VA exams and ultimately threw the hack job exam out. I wouldn't throw your outside exams in their face, it irritates them. Just go through with them and let your lawyer do his job.

Otrgypsy, If you are being paid at 100% regardless of rating the most important is the T&P. Total and Permanent is the indicator that you are considered Totally and Permanently 100% Disabled - Relax and enjoy your reward!

I think you are looking at some state benefits. The consider it to be called a passport for the parks. § 10.1-202.2. Disabled Veteran's Passport established; free entry into state parks and discounted services (virginia.gov) Richmond Sunlight » 2024 » Disabled Veteran's Passport; service-connected disability. (HB67) Sorry I am not finding a free passport to travel outside the US.

So, about veterans and passports... From what I've gathered, veterans rated at 100% are usually eligible for a free passport. It's a small token of appreciation for their service.