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VA Disability Claims: 5 Game-Changing Precedential Decisions You Need to Know
Tbird posted a record in VA Claims and Benefits Information,
These decisions have made a big impact on how VA disability claims are handled, giving veterans more chances to get benefits and clearing up important issues.
Service Connection
Frost v. Shulkin (2017)
This case established that for secondary service connection claims, the primary service-connected disability does not need to be service-connected or diagnosed at the time the secondary condition is incurred 1. This allows veterans to potentially receive secondary service connection for conditions that developed before their primary condition was officially service-connected.
Saunders v. Wilkie (2018)
The Federal Circuit ruled that pain alone, without an accompanying diagnosed condition, can constitute a disability for VA compensation purposes if it results in functional impairment 1. This overturned previous precedent that required an underlying pathology for pain to be considered a disability.
Effective Dates
Martinez v. McDonough (2023)
This case dealt with the denial of an earlier effective date for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) 2. It addressed issues around the validity of appeal withdrawals and the consideration of cognitive impairment in such decisions.
Rating Issues
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Tbird, -
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Are all military medical records on file at the VA?
RichardZ posted a topic in How to's on filing a Claim,
I met with a VSO today at my VA Hospital who was very knowledgeable and very helpful. We decided I should submit a few new claims which we did. He told me that he didn't need copies of my military records that showed my sick call notations related to any of the claims. He said that the VA now has entire military medical record on file and would find the record(s) in their own file. It seemed odd to me as my service dates back to 1981 and spans 34 years through my retirement in 2015. It sure seemed to make more sense for me to give him copies of my military medical record pages that document the injuries as I'd already had them with me. He didn't want my copies. Anyone have any information on this. Much thanks in advance.-
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RichardZ, -
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Caluza Triangle defines what is necessary for service connection
Tbird posted a record in VA Claims and Benefits Information,
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”-
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Tbird, -
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Post in ICD Codes and SCT CODES?WHAT THEY MEAN?
Timothy cawthorn posted an answer to a question,
Do the sct codes help or hurt my disability ratingPicked By
yellowrose, -
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Post in Chevron Deference overruled by Supreme Court
broncovet posted a post in a topic,
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.Picked By
Lemuel, -
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Question
Rockhound
I'm pretty sure that I have figured out how to present a CUE claim, except when it comes to where, for CUE to prevail, it must manifestly change the outcome.
I can prove that the VA Claims Adjudicator failed to apply pertinate statutory and regulatory provision extent at the time that caused the clear and unmistakable error,
But I am having trouble understanding what "Manifestly change the outcome" means. what types of outcomes are we talking about?
In my case, although it concerns a change in the original diagnosis to an alternate diagnosis. The adjudicator failed to follow statutory and regulatory provisions extent at the time, i.e.
1. He did not get cirtification from the examining physicain to support the change of a diagnosis
(a) certification must contain a summery of the facts,findings, and reasons that support the
change in the diagnosis.
2. Their is nothing in the records that Adjudicator then considered what the change ment,
since he did not have the cirtification from the physician to guide him.
3. Their is nothing in the records that once the Adjudicator considered that severance of
service connection was warrented, a rating was prepared setting forth all material facts and
reasons, and submitted it to the Central Office for review.
4. and lastly, if it had gone to the Central Office, although their is no indication it did, and was
approved, the claimant was supposed to be given 60 days for presentation of additional
evidence to show that service connection should be continued.
Since the VA Examiners report did not have the certification that the original diagnosis was clearly and unmistakably in error and that his new diagnosis was the correct one, the VA Adjudicator could not make a determination or a medical opinion of his own and use this new diagnosis as an alternate one. Since the VA Adjudicator failed to send the report back to the VA Examiner for clarification, the report can only be interpreted that his diagnosis was a new and seperate diagnosis.
How do you show, how all this would Manifestly change the outcome of my claim.
I know that the evidence by the conferance of Naval Dr.'s and Psychiatrists would outway the VA Examiner's ambiguous report, at best, with his present diagnosis, since he states in his report that he could not solidly support the original diagnosis based solely on the history and not on any tests, exams or observations any longer than the exam itself, that he conducted, to support his opinion. Again, he based his whole opinion on the history, that it would be difficult to substantiae, in his opinion a solid diagnosis of schizophrenia. Not with standing or consideration, that the disorder was in remission, at the time of the examination.
It appears to me that the VA Examiner's report was insufficiant for rating purposes, so how do I prove that my claim would have manifestly changed if the report was so lacking. They can't go back and ask for clarification from the VA Examiner, or for that matter, the VA Adjudicatior either. It's almost as if the claim remains open, since the question of service connection of the original diagnosis from which service connection was predicated upon was never legally adjudicated.
Anyone want to run with this and give me their opinions and/or questions?
Rockhound
Are you a paranoid schizophrenic
if the ones you think are out to
get you, really are?
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