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Newbie - Organized And Ready To File!

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Kimmy

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Hello, I am the Wifey of a Desert Storm Vet who is has serious knee problems (issues with: ACL, meniscus, cartilage, degenerative arthritis, can't fully extend). He just had two knee surgeries with in the past 6 months. This site and the howtoassembleyourclaim.com site have helped us get all of the elements relatively quickly. Using what we have learned here, we were able to request and have received his complete medical records. And we also located some of his original sick call slips! We organized the sent the copies of the knee related items to his surgeon. Yesterday, my husband picked up a very detailed nexus letter from his surgeon along with all of the doctor's surgical notes and office visit notes. Today he is going to the hospital to pick up the printed MRI images from both knees. We have the marriage and birth certificates, the certified DD-214 and other documentation. Now are ready to go! Copying and assembling this weekend. Next week we will be submitting the original filing of the 21-526.

We will keep you posted. Thanks again.

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It seems that the IMO from the surgeon might have covered the medical rationale for the secondaries that are due to this main condition.

But VA only adjudicates what is formally claimed. They 'might' infer and consider the secondaries in this situation , but hard to know. Because we don't know what has been formally claimed.

It would seem by common sense that VA should consider all of the disabilities directly related to his inservice injuries but VA and common sense is often an oxymoron.

“I honestly don't know what else we could provide.” If the VA needs anything else, within a few months you will receive a VCAA letter telling the veteran what additional evidence is needed.

If they need to do a C & P (and most likely they will unless he has considerable current medical records that would make a C & P unnecessary) they will set up a C & P exam fr him and it is imperative that he attend that exam and he can request a copy off the results in writing when the exam is written up.

The results of C & P exams can give a claimant a leg up as to what rating to expect from VA in the decision,.

“We have not addressed secondary issues at this point. It took so much effort to get the orginal filing done that we have not had time to develop those properly. We will work on that next. “

I assume ,but cannot really tell here that the “cartilage damage, ACL, minuscus tears and arthritis and describes the the age and progression of injuries.” are secondary conditions that the IMO covered and hopefully are all listed in the claim.

You certainly did a good job by getting all this evidence gathered.

Make sure you send VA copies only and always get a proof of mailing from the Post Office.

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Good Luck on your husbands claim and welcome to Hadit.Thank you for helping your Veteran you are appreciated here.

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Kimmy and all,

Anytime someone is dealing with submitting an actual original claim

(21-526 - 1st claim ever made for SC or Pension benefits),

it is of utmost importance to include all issuse/s, and submit it right

from the get-go.

IMO, this will help negate years of additional claims and appeals

down the road.

Usually by the time a claimant gets to hadit.com

they are way past the point of their one time original submission,

of their request for SC or Pension benefits.

JMHO

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