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

Spoke To The Bva

Rate this question


MikeR

Question

  • HadIt.com Elder

Spoke to the BVA today and they tell me a letter is on the way ref my PTSD claim as the decision was made yesterday. Now since they made the decision yesterday and are mailing out the letter today and am pretty certain that it is a denial. They are sending my ankle portion back to the AMC so I guess the Nexus letter/IMO and repackaging the evidence never hurts. Wondering after 11 years and am very drained on this fight. Have a diagnosis and take my meds for PTSD and comorbid depression. Should I hire the lawyer for the NOD, or just file a claim for Depression?

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Answers 17
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters For This Question

Recommended Posts

Spoke to the BVA today and they tell me a letter is on the way ref my PTSD claim as the decision was made yesterday. Now since they made the decision yesterday and are mailing out the letter today and am pretty certain that it is a denial. They are sending my ankle portion back to the AMC so I guess the Nexus letter/IMO and repackaging the evidence never hurts. Wondering after 11 years and am very drained on this fight. Have a diagnosis and take my meds for PTSD and comorbid depression. Should I hire the lawyer for the NOD, or just file a claim for Depression?

Mike

Mike,

I would just hang on and do nothing for a week or so and wait for the letter

to see what it actually says.

jmho,

carlie

Carlie passed away in November 2015 she is missed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HadIt.com Elder

It could be a remand with no real decision on the rating. Yes, just wait for the letter. It is good if possible to get out of the BVA/Remand/BVA cycle. More evidence is one way to do that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HadIt.com Elder

Right, I don't have the letter yet. The ankle stuff is back at the AMC, so I am wondering what that remand will say.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the BVA denied the PTSD claim- you have option of filing with the US CAVC and there are many lawyers-listed at the CAVC site-who could help you.

I sure hope it isnt a denial.

You need PTSD diagnosis and current treatment records- which it appears you have. Were you fully able to prove the nexus-the stressor event that caused the PTSD? If so-it seems to me that maybe they made an award-

still one can never assume anything- the letter will tell everything.

By now the JSRRC had plenty of time to validate your stressor-they should have done that before the claim even went to the BVA.

Do you know if the JSRRC did verify it?

Or did you have buddy statements to verify the stressor?

What reason did the VARO deny the PTSD claim for?

Edited by Berta

GRADUATE ! Nov 2nd 2007 American Military University !

When thousands of Americans faced annihilation in the 1800s Chief

Osceola's response to his people, the Seminoles, was

simply "They(the US Army)have guns, but so do we."

Sameo to us -They (VA) have 38 CFR ,38 USC, and M21-1- but so do we.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HadIt.com Elder
If the BVA denied the PTSD claim- you have option of filing with the US CAVC and there are many lawyers-listed at the CAVC site-who could help you.

I sure hope it isnt a denial.

You need PTSD diagnosis and current treatment records- which it appears you have. Were you fully able to prove the nexus-the stressor event that caused the PTSD? If so-it seems to me that maybe they made an award-

still one can never assume anything- the letter will tell everything.

By now the JSRRC had plenty of time to validate your stressor-they should have done that before the claim even went to the BVA.

Do you know if the JSRRC did verify it?

Or did you have buddy statements to verify the stressor?

What reason did the VARO deny the PTSD claim for?

Berta,

The letter came to the house. Well, the denial was made. I was pretty sure we had everything, but it was not good enough. They say yes, I have PTSD, but since I didn't have a CIB, or Purple Heart etc I am not a Combat Vet, and the evidence I did provide was not good enough for them. The bright spot was my ankle stuff that the AMC denied was remanded back to the AMC for readjudication. So if these are on the same claim can they be separated out and the PTSD claim be advanced? Also, since I can show that I was treated for depression on active duty should I apply for it now? I know the difference in back pay is huge, but at some point it feels all up hill.

Thanks

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Also, since I can show that I was treated for depression on active duty should I apply for it now?"

ABSOLUTELY! This is a shame that you did not claim depression from the git go-

I assume you have a current depression diagnosis and that the SMRS reveal the nexus (link)to your service.

Was depression ever stated at all in the PTSD claim?

GRADUATE ! Nov 2nd 2007 American Military University !

When thousands of Americans faced annihilation in the 1800s Chief

Osceola's response to his people, the Seminoles, was

simply "They(the US Army)have guns, but so do we."

Sameo to us -They (VA) have 38 CFR ,38 USC, and M21-1- but so do we.

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

    • kidva earned a badge
      First Post
    • kidva earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Lebro earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • spazbototto earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Paul Gretza earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Our picks

    • 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

      Continue Reading on HadIt.com
      • 0 replies
    • 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.  
      • 4 replies
    • 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.   
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Guidelines and Terms of Use