I filed the form to ask for TDIU on Feb 4. I had a CP beginning of March and my claim already is in the decision phase. I did not submit a letter explaining how my 70% Bi-polar had worsened but it was stated in my form asking for increase. My wife submitted a letter explaining how our lives are effected. My VA psych dr submitted info that my condition had worsened and that I could not work. I submitted a couple of employment forms and requested others but I do not think they responded. They received the records from Social Security showing that I received SSDI for service connected disabilty.
I have no idea what the CP doctor put. She could have said I was worse or she could have said nothing derogatory but nothing helpful. The problem I am wondering is that it was difficult to show that my disabilty has gotten worse in the last year because I have been unable to work. I stopped working Dec 2009. I was first awarded Feb 2010.
They knew I was not working in Feb when I was first awarded but I had only been out of work 2 months. Will the fact that I have not had a job or even applied for work be enough to show that I have gotten worse.
I was in a partial hospital program at the time of CP in 2010 and have not had any further for Depression, however I was hospitalized in Oct 2010 for an ulcer because I stopped eating for a month and my meds ate a hole in my stomach. No direct evidence showing that meds caused it but I dont take ibuprofen so likely lithium etc caused it. I also lost 30 lbs during that month because I could not eat because of depression.
So in a round about way I guess I showed that my condition worsened. It is just difficult to list ABC reasons that I am worse than I was last year. I was rated at 70% and am probably still 70% but would like to receive 100% unemployment compensation since my disability prevents me from working. I have had 10 plus jobs in the last 10 years, everything from a computer helpdesk at Procter and Gamble to a ramp guy for an airline. I lost them all for memory issues to I hate to admit it but theft due to impulse issues. I did explain all this in my CP exam.
Should I ask for my CP exam at VA hospital or just wait for decision. Ultimately I guess the CP alone does not decide anything but I thought it meant a great deal??
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.
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.
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”
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.
Question
eddingtons
I filed the form to ask for TDIU on Feb 4. I had a CP beginning of March and my claim already is in the decision phase. I did not submit a letter explaining how my 70% Bi-polar had worsened but it was stated in my form asking for increase. My wife submitted a letter explaining how our lives are effected. My VA psych dr submitted info that my condition had worsened and that I could not work. I submitted a couple of employment forms and requested others but I do not think they responded. They received the records from Social Security showing that I received SSDI for service connected disabilty.
I have no idea what the CP doctor put. She could have said I was worse or she could have said nothing derogatory but nothing helpful. The problem I am wondering is that it was difficult to show that my disabilty has gotten worse in the last year because I have been unable to work. I stopped working Dec 2009. I was first awarded Feb 2010.
They knew I was not working in Feb when I was first awarded but I had only been out of work 2 months. Will the fact that I have not had a job or even applied for work be enough to show that I have gotten worse.
I was in a partial hospital program at the time of CP in 2010 and have not had any further for Depression, however I was hospitalized in Oct 2010 for an ulcer because I stopped eating for a month and my meds ate a hole in my stomach. No direct evidence showing that meds caused it but I dont take ibuprofen so likely lithium etc caused it. I also lost 30 lbs during that month because I could not eat because of depression.
So in a round about way I guess I showed that my condition worsened. It is just difficult to list ABC reasons that I am worse than I was last year. I was rated at 70% and am probably still 70% but would like to receive 100% unemployment compensation since my disability prevents me from working. I have had 10 plus jobs in the last 10 years, everything from a computer helpdesk at Procter and Gamble to a ramp guy for an airline. I lost them all for memory issues to I hate to admit it but theft due to impulse issues. I did explain all this in my CP exam.
Should I ask for my CP exam at VA hospital or just wait for decision. Ultimately I guess the CP alone does not decide anything but I thought it meant a great deal??
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