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Question About Denied Claim +1 Ago (Left Hallux)

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cojolio

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Hello everyone, Im new to the site and I have to say...great information bank! I wish i knew this existed two years ago when I ETS!... Anyways, a brief 411 on me... I served 7 years as an 11B3P in the ARMY. Got hurt on an airborne jump, broke my tibia, surgery, 4 screws, and 2 years of physical therapy later I got MEBoarded out of the military for chronic ankle pain/arthritis for which I got 20%. (also, the doc who started the MEB mentioned my left toe as being numb and grossly stiff with bad ROM in his report...)

Here is my issue. In my MEB board report (and throughout the 2 years of therapy, and now current VA orthopedic visits) it is noted that my left big toe (hallux I believe the VA calls it) is mentioned as being partially numb, lack of range of motion (can barely bend it!) etc...anyways...is WELL documented in my medical records (both while on active duty and now that I go to the VA and have pain killers for it)....

I put in a claim for my left hallux back in 2008 when I ETS and the VA denied it because "it was not service connected"...back then I knew VERY litle about the system...now, two years later I can see that the VA probably made a mistake because it can EASILY be service-connected due to my airborne injury...after all, my toe was perfectly fine until I snapped my tibia in two places,...now the ankle and big toe has very limited ROM and my toe is numb and cant bend it... since is been over a year for me to write a statement of disagreement, how can I go about pointing it out to the VA that my left big toe is due to my airborne injury...is the current VA medical reports ground enough ("new medical evidence) to write to the regional VA and reopen my claim for the toe? Thanks in advance...

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Carlie, just to update you in this issue. I called today and finally got through and these are the diagnostic codes they gave me.

DC 9411 : 70% PTSD

DC 5010 : 20% Degenerative arthritis left ankle

DC 6260 : 10% Tinnitus

DC 6100 : 0% Bilateral hearing loss

DC 7801 : 0% surgical scar (I NEVER knew about this, not even on the notification letter from 2008?!).

Now I am more than eager to wait for my FOIA to get process to see how they got my DC 7801 since I never claim that, or if they included my numbness of the left hallux on my DC 5010 claim...

cojo,

Here's a link for you.

Scroll down to the Schedule Of Ratings - Criteria

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=df24a0a5de13d8dd7b9533eec6415b78&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title38/38cfr4_main_02.tpl

Carlie passed away in November 2015 she is missed.

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OK, you scaring me now LOL...thats REALLY SMART!!! Let me get on the phone and see if I can get the DC codes for the stuff they denied!...ill re-post the result of such call.

cojo,

I just got another thought.

Call the 800 # back and ask them what conditions show as non - service connected

and the DC's for them.

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Carlie, after 27 calls and 15+ mins on hold on the last call, I finally got through. Here are the condes for SC they denied...some of them I had no idea i even claim them...

DC : 5024 : claimed as Right and Left Knee conditions

DC : 6211 : claimed as blown right ear drum (funny thing is they approved my tinnitus and hearing loss :-/)

DC : 5237 : claimed as lower back condition

DC : 8724 : claimed as numbness of left hallux

I will read the cases you posted now...

This is what I was planning on claiming (wording it) for my secondary conditions I mentioned (regarding my EMG results + medical paperwork)...

1-Perennial Nerve Damage

2-Peripheral Neuropathy

3-Paralysis and Functional loss of Left Hallux

4-Muscle Injury to the foot and ankle. (deltoid ligament)

Do you think they will turn me away saying it falls under DC 8724 and so on?

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