Claim Sent To Tiger Team

[Rockhound]

I just received in the mail a notice or more to the point another VCAA letter, only this time it was sent from the TIGER TEAM. It appears my claim has been forwarded to them to supposedly expedite my claim.

I've left a message with my VSO, but being that Monday was a holiday, I think they will probably take the whole week off or at least close their satilite office at the VA Hospital till next week.

I am wondering what I need to do so I am prepared for when my VSO gets back to me, I have only 30 days to return any new evidence and if needed, another letter in support of my claim, plus a listing of all my evidence and probably copies of everything I have already sent the VARO. I do have some evidence that may be of value, that I have yet to send in, however it has more value with the claim I hope to present once this one is decided. If I send it now, it would not be considered as new and material evidence in support of this future claim. It is not the only evidence I have in this future claim so I am not so much worried about being able to use it specifically as evidence to reopen a past decided claim.

I just need to know what to expect and/or what I should do.

Rockhound Rider :D B)

[LarryJ]

You need to send in ANYthing and EVERYthing that it is going to take to win the claim that now exists.

"If I send it now, it would not be considered as new and material evidence in support of this future claim."

Well, if it is a "future" claim that you are thinking about sending this evidence in for, then you'd have to wait until you sent in the "future claim", then wait until they denied this "future claim" and then wait until the time limit had run it's course for you to "object" to this "future claim's future denial" and then and only then, turn in this evidence, for it to be considered "new and material evidence"............ahhhh, if you get my drift.....and, folks, I AM driftin' here, as you can probably tell!

jist sittin in the saddle, watchin my pony chomp grass.......... :D

[Testvet]

rock hound is this for the same medical problem or another medical problem that is not related to this claim? You can add stuff now the only place you can't add new evidence is the CAVC even the BVA Judge asked me if I wanted to him to infer a claim for my hemmroids I busted out laughing at him and said NO I was just pointing out the issues I did agree to drop in May 2005 and that I had never agreed to drop my CAD and hypertension as they were on the first claim I filed and was not related to my PTSD claim that had been awarded in May 2005 which they low balled at 50% and I filed a NOD on that award the day after I got it.. if you want to talk about how NOT to file a claim I can teach college level classes on that issue I think I did all of them....if you have medical evidence and the Tiger Team can adjudicate it I would send it in

Edited May 27, 2009 by Testvet (see edit history)

[Rockhound]

I'm so full of questions, it is hard for me to see the trees because of the forest, if you get my meaning.

This future claim has a connection with the one being decided now. The issues all had their beginning with the fractured nasal bone for which I resently was awarded 10% for. The claim currently in the process is secondary issues directly related to the fractured nasal bone, the new issues are a direct result of the injury in that it resulted in a cerebral concussion which was originally denied as having no residual problems.

I have now found out through further testing and evaluations that the cerebral concussion in fact caused a TBI resulting in cognitive dysfunction and a personality change due to a medical condition or as diagnosed as a post traumatic organic personality disorder.

I want to wait on submitting this future claim but now that the other claim has been turned over to this Tiger Team, maybe I should go ahead and submit it. I was holding off on it becuase I didn't want the issues to get confused, with to many problems that have their inseption from the fractured nasal bone. I would rather it be associated with a post traumatic brain injury.

I hope this isn't confusing you more than it does me, as you can well guess, my thinking and deductions in reasoning are a bit foggy at best, having to deal this congnitive dysfunction issues.

Rockhound Rider :D B)

[Rockhound]

I got home today from a trip into town to discuss my claim with my AMVET rep and add one more item of evidence that showed I had no problems with chronic sinisitis before my injury in service to my nasal bone. It also goes to show that no PD was identified in the information. What was the information you ask. It was the re-enlistment physical I had just prior to my psychotic epsode and subsequant nasal bone injury. I was given a clean bill of health with normal sinisuses and mind you, no psychiatric or PD noted. I was approved for re-enlistment for a six year hitch under a special training STAR program of my choosing, with a guarenteed advancement to next grade should I complete and pass the training I chose.

Any way, back to coming home. In my mail box was a letter from the VAHA scheduling me, you guessed it, another C&P examination. I just knew it, their telling me a C&P exam would not be necessary since I had already had one for the primary cause for these secondary issues. Here's the rub to the whole thing, they schedule the exam on my Birthday. Maybe I ault to ask the examiner to give me a good review as a birthday present. LoL LoL LoL ;)

Now I have to get busy and resorect my claim file on this issue, so I can make sure the C&P examiner has everything that he should. Not that I would do it, but I should put on an old pair of glasses I have and strike the outer edge so it will bruise the scar tissue on my nose, just so the C&P examiner can see what I have to go through when the bruised tissue ulcerates and the pain and discomfort I deal with about three or four times a year, all because the broken bones in my nose left ruff edges that rub raw because of the bridge feet of my claissed ride on them constantly and all it takes is a slight jar, like most of us with glasses know so well, it hurts like hell, even with nothing wrong with the nose. Add my problems and it makes it ten times as bad.

This does however mean I will have to go off my corticosteroid nasal spran and my meds for allergies, which doesn't do much, if anything, anyways. Just so the examiner can see me at my worst.

I just knew that something like this would come up, since they forwarded my claim to the Tiger Team. If I have to wait another eight months for a decision, I'm going to have to get an increase on all my psych meds for sure.

I know, I'm Venting again, but I can't help it, my anxiety has gone up, my mood is down and my paranoia is starting to peak its ugly head up along with my panic trigger level. I dought I will get very much sleep tonight, it takes vary little to do me in, I just hope I don't end up in the loony ben for another self admit, so I don't end up hurting myself or the Great Spirit help me don't hurt someone else, namely someone at the VARO where all my anger and paranoia is centered at.

Yes! I have taken my meds, but it will take a bit of time for them to really kick in and hopefully its la la land and not me pacing the floor unable to sleep, which is usually what happens.

I've ragged enough. It's just that nothing that comes out of the VA can be believed, until you see it in writing and even then you have to question their sanity when they do.

Rockhound Rider :P ;) B)