Va Lost My File!

[JENNABEAN]

Hi! I just found this forum today and I have been reading the posts for the last few hours but I haven't found a situation quite like mine. I am completley dumbfounded at what the VA is doing to me. I was medically discharged from the Air Force on Jan 16, 2007. I filed my claim before my date of seperation, and it has been on file with the VA since 17 Jan 07. I started calling the VA once a month after I filed my claim and was continuously told my claim would be completed in 6-9 months. Once the 5 month mark hit and I was told my claim had not been STARTED yet, I began losing my patience. I called at least once a week to check on the status and was told something different each time.

About 6 weeks ago, I got my congressman involved, and when I contact his office all I am told is "we've put in an inquiry." Well, that's nice...but it doesn't let me know anything. So today I called the 800 number AGAIN, and I was talking to a woman who had been working in the Nashville office for the last 30 years. She had the nastiest attitude, but she knew her stuff. It turns out my file has not been seen since JANUARY 29th. No one has the file...no one is working on the file...no one knows where the heck the file is! And I have been calling at least once a month for the first 5 months, then once a week after that...and now several times a week...and no one noticed this before today!!!!!!!!!!!!! I started crying my eyes out because I have NO money, and I cannot work. My husband works for the state and he is working a second job at Ruby Tuesdays so we can TRY to make ends meet.

Anyway, I asked the lady what the heck I am supposed to do since no one knows anything about my file....she said that I need to come in to the office and ask them if they can REFILE!! I just don't get it. I NEED that money...I CAN'T work. I have a loose screw in my spine that is eroding away the bones..and depression, and fibromyalgia, and some female stuff on top of that. I have two sons (ages 3 and 4), and I can't even pick the little one up...I can't go out shopping without my walker...I am only 25! Anyway, I am overtired and frustrated and depressed, and I am wondering if I am going to have to wait the 6-9 months all over again when I refile? What can I do about the fact that they lost my file in JANUARY and didn't bother to tell me or ask me to refile.....is there legal action that I can take? Please help me.

Jenna

[Berta]

I suggest you call these people until you get a positive documented status of where your claims file is---and if no positive results occur---file a formal letter of complaint and send it by priority mail or fax it to all below:

Thomas O. Sanders VSCM 1-404-929-5721

Stephanie DiBiello AVSMC 1-404-929-5497

Altanta VARO (I have no listing for their Director)

and

Brian Corley Director

Nashville Tenn. 1-615-695-6000

Fax 1-615-695-6002

Jerry Mitchell VSCM -1-615-736-5237 Nashville RO

Cory Hawthorne AVSCM 1-615-695-6101 Nashville RO

Travis Kraft AVSCM 1-615- 695-6032 Nashville RO

And CC the letter to Acting Secretary VA-Gordon Mansfield in VACO Washington DC.

My philosophy is- in order to get people to take their thumbs out of their rectums-it often takes putting a big foot up their read ends.

[betrayed]

Thank you for your replies! Yes, I do have copies of my claim that I filed, and, the VA told me that they recieved my claim on January 17, and it was sent to "claims processing" on January 29th, and nothing has been done on it since then. I did a formal inquiry, and the result of that inqury (2 actually) and they said ... and I quote "file is on search." I was told by 2 different reps that it means they lost my file.

The trouble is that when I got discharged, I went to Georgia to stay with my mom and dad (as I was a single mother to a 2 and 3 year old) for a while until I figured out what I was going to do. So I filed in Georgia, and my file was sent to the Atlanta RO. Then about 3 weeks after I got down there, I decided to move to Tennessee. I called the VA in Feb and told them that I moved to TN, but they said my file would stay in Atlanta. I get the letters saying they are working on my file, but never got a request for information, or a doctors appointment or anything. So according to the people at the RO in Nashville, the file was in Atlanta, and no one in Atlanta knows where it is.....even though I call ALL THE TIME!!!! Why are they not working on my file if I am always calling? Why hasn't anyone noticed until 9 months later that my file has not been seen since I sent it there???

What happens when I refile? I didn't even notify them when I got married in June because I figured that would hold up the process if I did a name change on them. Will I have to wait the 6-9 months again? What do I do as far as my finances during that extra time? My savings has been depleted over the past 10 months and there is no end in sight with these people. Is there some sort of financial help for vets in this situation? How do I make sure they are working on the claim this time when I file? I called all the time with the first claim, and it didn't make anyone work on it....I am so confused!

sweetie set back and relax, take a deep breath. I am gonna give you some advice. The VA doesnt give a dam about you, your finances or anything else. The only way your gonna get your claim expediten is if you are a oef/oif vet and were in country. I was or am a oef and oif vet as well as allot of other conflicts, but if you think your a OEF/OIF Vet check out this link.

If you think you fall into that category go to the VA Hospital find out who their OEI/OIF Coordinator is and talk to them, I did and was told to politley get screwed because I never put a boot in the sand.

I have had congressman get involved, filed a VAOIG complaint, member of a class action lawsuit against the VA, and am looking for a ambulance chasing malpractice attorney to sue a doctor who assulted me while

I was a inpatient in a pysch unit. I got the police report, I got a chaplain as a witness, a call to the city police and on a 911 recording when I called. I hate what they did to me. I couldnt work, couldnt pay my bills, filed bankruptcy and am trying like hell to recover some what from that. Became homicidal and suicidal. I hate to be the one to tell you the truth but no one besides us here at hadit, those that are in our shoes or have been in them dont give a dam about you.

I wish I could pat you on the back and tel you its gonna be okm but its not gonna be ok its gonna be a fight, your gonna want to give up, but dont FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

[cloudcroft]

JENNABEAN,

If you think I was using "harsh words" and my response was not helpful, then just disregard it. What do I know anyway. I also will refrain from responding to your posts further so there is no future misunderstandings or confusion.

I'm not here to hassle other vets, but I AM here to tell it like it is, and any of us vets here who have been through the claims process -- whether the claim was won or lost -- can do that if he/she wants to. And believe it or not, I DO try to be civil: If I really were using "harsh words," you'd definitely see the difference.

And posts that are not of the "warm and fuzzy" variety can be just as helpful as posts that are. I usually tell people what I believe to be reality, which may or may not be what they want to hear. That does not make me "harsh" or unhelpful but in this case, since it's YOUR thread, YOU are the judge of that.

Sorry for any minunderstanding.

Good luck,

-- John D.

Edited October 21, 2007 by cloudcroft

[Ricky]

Jennabean - John was just simply giving you some straight forward insight along with some encouragement by telling you to grab a hold and find something to occupy your time before you let this run you crazy like it has most of us.

I did not see any remarks that would indicate you are lazy or not trying, nor any remarks bad about your better half. Simply some encouragement.....

Now hang in there and fight like hell. It will all work out in the end.

[Philip Rogers]

Just my thoughts but what's this money you need and are expecting from the VA??? Were you medically retired and discharged or just medically discharged? Sounds like you'd be 100% disabled. One gives you a pension w/Tricare and the other requires the VA to approve your disability(s) for compension. If retired w/a check, the VA will offset any amount by first recovering what you've been paid, previously, from any compensation awarded.

pr

[JENNABEAN]

OMG!!! I am getting nowhere with these people! I called the 1-800 number...to check the answer to the inquiries I had put in. I was told the inquiry says "file is on search." And, I was transferred to the Atlanta office for them to tell me where it is. Well the ever so bright Ms. Rendor...told me she would "check wit the persons who done did dat" to see about the inquiry. Well after a 30 minute phone converstaion with her, she told me that my file is not lost...they just don't know where it is! HAHA! I laughed so hard. I said " Ma'am, if you don't know where it is....then IT IS LOST!" But she ASSURED me it was not lost because it was "in the building" its just that no one has seen it since January 29th. Well I told her that if my car keys were somehwere in my home, but I didn't know where they were in my home, then they were LOST until I could find them and get into my car. She said that she "understood" and she would connect me with her "coach." Well convienently the "coach" was not there and I was connected to her voicemail. It just so happens that this coach is the very same woman I left 5 messages for in August and she NEVER returned my call. When I FINALLY got ahold of her in Aug, it was because she actually answered her phone after I had been calling for weeks. Anyway, needless to say, she hasn't returned my call. And in August she ASSURED me she would find my file and have it sent to the Nashville office....yeah, that never happened.

So I called director at the Nashville VARO...since Berta was nice enough to give me that number. Well, the receptionist would not let me talk to the director. She told me she would connect me with the people in the call center to check on my file. I told her that it was NOT okay to do that...and that the Nashville call center AND the Atlanta call center had no idea where my file was...and that it was VERY important that I talk to the director. Well...she still wouldn't let me talk to him and she tired to connect me to the "supervisor" of the phone center, but he didn't answer the phone so she took a message as well and said he would call me back. I am not holding my breath.

I called every other number Berta gave me, and no one was "available" to talk to me. So again, I called my congressman's office, and the guy I had left messages for last week was in a meeting and I had to leave another message. So , God only knows what is going to happen. NO ONE IS RETURNING MY CALLS....and NO ONE KNOWS ANYTHING about my file, where it is, or anything! I am so freaking frustrated!

What now?