Jump to content
VA Disability Community via Hadit.com

VA Disability Claims Articles

Ask Your VA Claims Question | Current Forum Posts Search | Rules | View All Forums
VA Disability Articles | Chats and Other Events | Donate | Blogs | New Users

  • hohomepage-banner-2024-2.png

  • 27-year-anniversary-leaderboard.png

    advice-disclaimer.jpg

  • donate-be-a-hero.png

  • 0

Traveling Board

Rate this question


Larrybart

Question

I have been battliing with the VA for 4 years. They keep denying my claim. I received a SOC in Dec 2007. I replied in Jan 2008 with new evidence. I have just been told I will have a review wiht the Traveling Review Board sometime in September. Does the new evidence I submitted in Jan 2008 have to be answered first? Secondly how long does it normally take for a Traveling Review Board to make a decision?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Answers 6
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters For This Question

6 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

I have been battliing with the VA for 4 years. They keep denying my claim. I received a SOC in Dec 2007. I replied in Jan 2008 with new evidence. I have just been told I will have a review wiht the Traveling Review Board sometime in September. Does the new evidence I submitted in Jan 2008 have to be answered first? Secondly how long does it normally take for a Traveling Review Board to make a decision?

It's likely they will make another decision and issue a Supplemental Statement of Case prior to the Traveling Review Board event.

I've asked another Hadit member to move your post so more folks will see it.

Good luck,

Ron

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the appeals team determine that the evidence is new and not simply "duplicate" evidence they should issue another SSOC.

Once your case is heard by a BVA rep it could take anywhere from 6-18 months to get a decision. Your only hope would be that it not be a remand back into the same poop house you are currently having problems with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HadIt.com Elder

Well, I don't have the fairy dust yet to move this post but I'll try to FLAG a moderator with U-Haul privileges. (..gas prices...!)

by posting in the claims forum (first one on the list).

Good question, I have heard traveling board can be quite helpful or muddy, depending. I'm not sure as far as decision timing goes and if the new information 'will' be considered, sure hope so. Did you get a registered mail reciept or date stamped copy of what you submitted?

Is there something we could help you with like an excerpt of your denied claim or subject? Helps to discuss it here, well at least I've learned that many times over myself.

Best to ya,

cg

I have been battliing with the VA for 4 years. They keep denying my claim. I received a SOC in Dec 2007. I replied in Jan 2008 with new evidence. I have just been told I will have a review wiht the Traveling Review Board sometime in September. Does the new evidence I submitted in Jan 2008 have to be answered first? Secondly how long does it normally take for a Traveling Review Board to make a decision?
Edited by cowgirl
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know this is lengthly, but I need help

I was an aircraft loadmaster for 30 years-1970 - 1972 Active duty; 1972-1980 Air National Guard Technician(GS); 1984-1990 Air National Guard Technician(GS);1991 Desert Storm; 1991 - 2003 Air National Guard Technician(GS). I had 11380 flying hours and 4850 active duty days and inactive duty days for training. I have documentation of these on official AF records stating only about 200 hours were flown in a GS status.

I was on active duty for a trip to Bolivia with heavy pallets aboard 27 Nov - 30 Nov 2000. I have letters from the other crewmembers attesting to the heavy pallets and the lack of offload equipment. They all indicated I strained myself. I went to a civilian doctor on 6 Dec 2000 and was told I had two hernias-one left and one right. I needed an operation. I had to go to a civilian doctor because we do not have a full time flight surgeon on the base; even though the clinic grounded me and I had to have documentation from the civilian doctor to the military clinic stating I had hernia, had an operation, and was ok to go back to flying. The doctor screwed up and wrapped the ilioinguinal nerve someway around the mesh. He sent me to a pain specialist who tried creams, which did not work, then he tried the nerve injections, which did not work. The only thing that worked was massive doses of Neurontin, which I could not take because I was on flying status. I would take lots aspirins and the pain was still bad. This was the only way I could maintain flying status. I was put on active duty the last time from 23 Aug 2002 - 20 Nov 2002. This was to attend the initial C-17 Loadmaster school. During this time, I found I could not push cargo or do any straining. I came back after the school, told the flight surgeon, who grounded me. I went back to the pain specialist who put me on massive dossages of Neurontin until I had a spinal cord stimulator installed in 2004. I was released from service because I would not pass a flight physical or maintain world wide mobility. I had a spinal cord stimulator installed in 2004. I had to do something the Neurontin made me like a zombie. I cannot lift, strain, squat, or most anything else normal people do.

After the stimulator was installed, I was prescribed Ambein to help me sleep. I was staying tired all the time and could not get enough sleep. I had always attributed this to my flying over many time zone during the month(I was always on active duty these time--I have the records). My wife also complained about me being tired all the time along with one of my commanders. I have this documented with letters from them. I just thought I was getting older and could not bounce back like I did when I was younger--I was in my 50's during this time. My pain specialist told me there was something else and sent me for a sleep study. I had an index of 39 events per hour and averaged 17 seconds in duration. I know I had sleep apnea when I flew and it was just diagonsed as "Jet Lag". I have letters from commanders stating I flew at cabin altitudes of over 5000' for 30 years. I have letters from the Chief Aerospace Medicine which states "It is likely that the symptoms of sleep apnea were overlooked by CMSgt Herrington as the fatigue and sleepiness associated with sleep apnea would be difficult to discriminate from "jet lat" often seen following long missions. All this being said, it is more likely than not that CMSgt Herrington's sleep apnea was aggravated by his long hour of flying at high cabin altitude."

I also have a letter from my pain specialist which states he prescribed Ambein to help me sleep. He reported this was discussed by he and I and talked about flying over several time zones a month made me chronically tired and fatigued. This was prevalent after I stopped flying which cause him to suggest a sleep study. He stated-"It is likely that the symptoms of sleep apnea were overlooked by Mr. Herrington and the fatigue and daily somnolence were more than likely due to the previously undiagnosed sleep apnea. This would be difficult, that is sleep apnea would be difficult to discriminate from "jet Lag." all of this being said, it is probable Mr. Herrington had sleep apnea several years before it was diagnosed and was misdiagonsed as "jet lag."

I also have a letter from my private physician, "The specific date of his sleep apnea is impossible to know with certainty. It is reasonable to presume that it was developing prior to being diagnosed in 2005. It is reasonable to suspect, and perhaps to presume that he was dealing with some measure of sleep apnea in the years beginning around 2000, and therafter, especially because of the significant weight increase that was developing through the time of his life."

I filed in 11 July 2005--was granted 10% for tinnitus denied hernia and sleep apnea Disagreed and filed supplemental information on 4-10-06--denied again. DRO hearing--denied. Last appeal filed Feb 2008 noting errors on DRO hearing and submitting new evidence. Which I had already given the Person who conducted the hearing, but he failed to mention it. Was told by the 800 number I would have a hearing by the Traveling Board in September. Called DAV who is helping me and was told the same. I asked about the evidence I submitted in Feb 08. They know it was submitted, but do not know if I will receive a SOC on it or it will just go to the traveling board.

Where do I go from here?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • In Memoriam

Larrybart,

Welcome to Hadit. Sorry for the nightmare that you have had to go through. I don't understand how after 30 years of flying in the military, you did not have all of this on your retirement.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was a Civil Service employee. I had to maintain affiliation with the National Guard. Meaning I had to do all the things, uniforms, physicals, rules and regulations as the Active Duty. I wore the uniform and was referred to by my military rank. Everytime I flew, which was real often, I had to be put on active duty orders. If I had a medical problem, I had to admit it to our clinic, who would ground me from the Active site, then I would go to a civilian doctor who treated me and sent the report back to the clinic. The clinic would then put me back on flying status. I had high cholesterol which was discovered on my military physical. I was grounded on an active duty form, I had to go to my civilian doctor who prescribed Lipitor. I stayed grounded(could not fly) for 3 month waiting for a waiver to come in from the Military Department. When I had to get out because I could not fly, I was supposed to request a physical. I did not request nor receive one. I was on massive dosages of Neurontin, and Elavil. I was in another world. That is the reason the sleep apnea is not in my records. The hernia is all documented by a civilian doctor. The problem is I was a loadmaster who flew offloaded and loaded cargo, but the hernia might have happened when I was in a civilian status. I know this is muddy, but maybe this explains some of it.

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
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Guidelines and Terms of Use