Jump to content

Ask Your VA Claims Questions | Read Current Posts 
Read VA Disability Claims Articles
Search | View All Forums | Donate | Blogs | New Users | Rules 

  • tbirds-va-claims-struggle (1).png

  • 01-2024-stay-online-donate-banner.png

     

  • 0

Appeal Meeting With Dro

Rate this question


windy city

Question

I am have a meeting this week face to face with a DRO relating to an appeal case. Any adivce in how to dress, how to communicate, present enough evidence or just enough. need all the adivce I can get for ths one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Answers 21
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters For This Question

Top Posters For This Question

Recommended Posts

Would this be in addition to the Form 9 already filed after I got the SOC (without a DRO hearing) in 2005 (which is how long I've been waiting to present my case to a DRO; and now waiting to present to the BVA since NOV 2005)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

luv - if you requested a De Novo hearing with a personal hearing with the DRO and they did not provide the hearing and just simply issued the SOC they have violated your due process rights. They did this to me. SOC issued (Jan 06) without the hearing. I had to file the form 9 within the 60 day time requirement (Mar 06) but I continued to scream violation of due process at the RO level. Finally in Mar 07 they scheduled a DRO hearing for me. It has resulted in many new C&P exams the last which is scheduled for 17 Jan 07. Hopefully I will receive some type of new decision that will not be another cut and paste job like the SOC was. Anyway even if it is my docket number (Mar 06) has been preserved so once my case hits the BVA it will go to the front of the line if they do things correctly.

Pete - if the SOC is issued you only have 60 days to perfect the appeal and not one year. Also if they afford you a hearing at the RO level it has to be with someone who was not involved in the already completed rating process. Based upon that rule if a DRO has already made a decision on your case, then he/she can not conduct a meeting with you to discuss issues about that paticular decision. Now if you believe in the tooth fairy then maybe you will believe this. hahahaha. Since my DRO process was complete, my hearing was conducted by the RO manager guy cause they currently only have 4 DRO's at my RO. Take out the one that reviewed my case first time around that leaves three. Now they have 8000 appeals ongoing so they are pretty busy so management had to get involved in my case since I was crying like a baby. Heck if I had not the BVA would have just issued an immediate remand cause they failed to provide proper due process by not conducting the hearing before they issued the SOC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ricky,

I did request a De Nova Review with a hearing before the DRO. In fact, my NSO submitted a 21-4138 attached to my request (which was just plain type on plain paper). When I got my C-File the request was in there. So, you are saying that I should point this out to the RO?

Edited by luvHIM
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Tell a friend

    Love HadIt.com’s VA Disability Community Vets helping Vets since 1997? Tell a friend!
  • Recent Achievements

    • Lebro earned a badge
      First Post
    • stuart55 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • stuart55 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Lebro earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Sparklinger earned a badge
      First Post
  • Our picks

    • Caluza Triangle defines what is necessary for service connection
      Caluza Triangle – Caluza vs Brown defined what is necessary for service connection. See COVA– CALUZA V. BROWN–TOTAL RECALL

      This has to be MEDICALLY Documented in your records:

      Current Diagnosis.   (No diagnosis, no Service Connection.)

      In-Service Event or Aggravation.
      Nexus (link- cause and effect- connection) or Doctor’s Statement close to: “The Veteran’s (current diagnosis) is at least as likely due to x Event in military service”
      • 0 replies
    • Do the sct codes help or hurt my disability rating 
    • VA has gotten away with (mis) interpreting their  ambigious, , vague regulations, then enforcing them willy nilly never in Veterans favor.  

      They justify all this to congress by calling themselves a "pro claimant Veteran friendly organization" who grants the benefit of the doubt to Veterans.  

      This is not true, 

      Proof:  

          About 80-90 percent of Veterans are initially denied by VA, pushing us into a massive backlog of appeals, or worse, sending impoverished Veterans "to the homeless streets" because  when they cant work, they can not keep their home.  I was one of those Veterans who they denied for a bogus reason:  "Its been too long since military service".  This is bogus because its not one of the criteria for service connection, but simply made up by VA.  And, I was a homeless Vet, albeit a short time,  mostly due to the kindness of strangers and friends. 

          Hadit would not be necessary if, indeed, VA gave Veterans the benefit of the doubt, and processed our claims efficiently and paid us promptly.  The VA is broken. 

          A huge percentage (nearly 100 percent) of Veterans who do get 100 percent, do so only after lengthy appeals.  I have answered questions for thousands of Veterans, and can only name ONE person who got their benefits correct on the first Regional Office decision.  All of the rest of us pretty much had lengthy frustrating appeals, mostly having to appeal multiple multiple times like I did. 

          I wish I know how VA gets away with lying to congress about how "VA is a claimant friendly system, where the Veteran is given the benefit of the doubt".   Then how come so many Veterans are homeless, and how come 22 Veterans take their life each day?  Va likes to blame the Veterans, not their system.   
    • Welcome to hadit!  

          There are certain rules about community care reimbursement, and I have no idea if you met them or not.  Try reading this:

      https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-emergency-care-at-non-va-facilities/

         However, (and I have no idea of knowing whether or not you would likely succeed) Im unsure of why you seem to be so adamant against getting an increase in disability compensation.  

         When I buy stuff, say at Kroger, or pay bills, I have never had anyone say, "Wait!  Is this money from disability compensation, or did you earn it working at a regular job?"  Not once.  Thus, if you did get an increase, likely you would have no trouble paying this with the increase compensation.  

          However, there are many false rumors out there that suggest if you apply for an increase, the VA will reduce your benefits instead.  

      That rumor is false but I do hear people tell Veterans that a lot.  There are strict rules VA has to reduce you and, NOT ONE of those rules have anything to do with applying for an increase.  

      Yes, the VA can reduce your benefits, but generally only when your condition has "actually improved" under ordinary conditions of life.  

          Unless you contacted the VA within 72 hours of your medical treatment, you may not be eligible for reimbursement, or at least that is how I read the link, I posted above. Here are SOME of the rules the VA must comply with in order to reduce your compensation benefits:

      https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/3.344

       
    • Good question.   

          Maybe I can clear it up.  

          The spouse is eligible for DIC if you die of a SC condition OR any condition if you are P and T for 10 years or more.  (my paraphrase).  

      More here:

      Source:

      https://www.va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnity-compensation/

      NOTE:   TO PROVE CAUSE OF DEATH WILL LIKELY REQUIRE AN AUTOPSY.  This means if you die of a SC condtion, your spouse would need to do an autopsy to prove cause of death to be from a SC condtiond.    If you were P and T for 10 full years, then the cause of death may not matter so much. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Guidelines and Terms of Use