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

Question About Denied Claim +1 Ago (Left Hallux)

Rate this question


cojolio

Question

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...

nothing here

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Answers 32
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters For This Question

Recommended Posts

Also - check out :

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=2a7f6a85d3950f98621bcd4e6860a7bd&rgn=div8&view=text&node=38:1.0.1.1.5.2.98.26&idno=38

5280 Hallux valgus, unilateral:

Operated with resection of metatarsal head10

Severe, if equivalent to amputation of great toe105281 Hallux rigidus, unilateral, severe:Rate as hallux valgus, severe.

Carlie passed away in November 2015 she is missed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you Carlie.

Im also going through my Srv Med Records, VA progress notes and highling/using post-it's regarding my neuro problems as well...its all over my records!

Also - check out :

http://ecfr.gpoacces...2.98.26&idno=38

5280 Hallux valgus, unilateral:

Operated with resection of metatarsal head10

Severe, if equivalent to amputation of great toe105281 Hallux rigidus, unilateral, severe:Rate as hallux valgus, severe.

nothing here

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

    • Lebro earned a badge
      First Post
    • stuart55 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • stuart55 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Lebro earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Sparklinger earned a badge
      First Post
  • Our picks

    • 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.   
    • Welcome to hadit!  

          There are certain rules about community care reimbursement, and I have no idea if you met them or not.  Try reading this:

      https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-emergency-care-at-non-va-facilities/

         However, (and I have no idea of knowing whether or not you would likely succeed) Im unsure of why you seem to be so adamant against getting an increase in disability compensation.  

         When I buy stuff, say at Kroger, or pay bills, I have never had anyone say, "Wait!  Is this money from disability compensation, or did you earn it working at a regular job?"  Not once.  Thus, if you did get an increase, likely you would have no trouble paying this with the increase compensation.  

          However, there are many false rumors out there that suggest if you apply for an increase, the VA will reduce your benefits instead.  

      That rumor is false but I do hear people tell Veterans that a lot.  There are strict rules VA has to reduce you and, NOT ONE of those rules have anything to do with applying for an increase.  

      Yes, the VA can reduce your benefits, but generally only when your condition has "actually improved" under ordinary conditions of life.  

          Unless you contacted the VA within 72 hours of your medical treatment, you may not be eligible for reimbursement, or at least that is how I read the link, I posted above. Here are SOME of the rules the VA must comply with in order to reduce your compensation benefits:

      https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/3.344

       
    • Good question.   

          Maybe I can clear it up.  

          The spouse is eligible for DIC if you die of a SC condition OR any condition if you are P and T for 10 years or more.  (my paraphrase).  

      More here:

      Source:

      https://www.va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnity-compensation/

      NOTE:   TO PROVE CAUSE OF DEATH WILL LIKELY REQUIRE AN AUTOPSY.  This means if you die of a SC condtion, your spouse would need to do an autopsy to prove cause of death to be from a SC condtiond.    If you were P and T for 10 full years, then the cause of death may not matter so much. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Guidelines and Terms of Use