Stopping By, Update, Appointment With New Attorney For Claim Appeal

[retiredat44]

Stopping by, update, appointment with new attorney for claim appeal in a few days. If I find out he accepts my case, and I dump my current VSO, I will update... Not sure how long it will take after the appoinment for his decision. My health deteriorates... slowly... very difficult to walk more than down the street and back... cannot get around the block without getting sick.. skin showing more signs of internal disease... more skin problems (history of skin issues).. GI doctors wanted to go back with special x-ray scope like endoscopy, to check for cancer in pancreas.. (typically people with my condition usually get cancer within a few short years.., the doctors told me that jaundice does not always appear when cancer of th pancreas does.. so, looking for jaundice signs does not help much...). I must rely on blood tests...

Still eating and drinking food... not many fevers, just one every couple of weeks and only last a few hours...

Biggest hope, that I get a new claim attorney to take over my case... I am very worried my vso hasn't straighten out some problems that were created by the first VSO who initiated my claims... the new attorney told me, he is familiar with my disease, and knows how to repair claims that were not initated properly...

[Tbird]

I hope this new attorney can help you on this. Sounds like you are hanging in, but I know it's tough!

[rdawg]

good to see you back retired. take care.

[retiredat44]

New attorney (so far, they are are intrested and researching, very knowledgable, and my wife likes them too...) attorney was working Late last night to help me.. dedication!

I need to get him some copies of some forms from the VA... (the Form 9 forms that were officially turned in.

He wants me to get new x-rays for my knee with ' Chondromalacia patella '

When I got very sick with the pancreas disease, I stopped treament on many other diseases... so he needs new x-rays... for my evidence. There is no cure, these parts wear out and they do not fix themelves, so I still have the disease, but much work that whenit was diagnosed 30 years ago on active duty. While jumping in and out of trucks, my left knee went bad. Yet, they denied that too... so a new x-ray is needed to show it to them again.

He liked my IMO (actually at first he said it was to complicated, but after he studied it he liked it). The only problem is the want's $350 an hour to do any additional work on her report, if the attornies want more. They can also send me for more IMO's at their request, on their dime. The attorney see they left out extremely important evidence and is working on a plan to get the VA to stop ignoring all evidence. He said they ignore evidence all the time, they just will not ackowledge it. Once something is written and submitted, no amount of evidence will they consider that is added. They just stay on the original claim wording.

So, whoever writes up the first claim, if they do not do it with everything needed the first time, you maybe screwed, and it may either take a long time to fix, or never. My first VSO didn't put all the evidence in, so now it is causing me all this grief. They just thought they were so good at their job, and it turns out they thought they were good, when in reality they screwed up. I told them my story (gave documents), and when they wrote it down, I was naive and signed it thinking they knew what they were doing, because a bunch of other people praised that VSO.

At the BVA level they dig in deeper and fix problems that were from the local level. And often send it back to be fixed. (yes, I know I read about that stuff in these forums).

The attorney has worked as a DRO, so that is very good news and help for me.

I can only hope they do choose to represent me.

btw, I went by my VSO's office, because I was close by, and now they have a sign up saying they are only open between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

I hate that office. When the day comes I never ever have to go there again, will be one of the greatest days ever. Now I have to drive an hour each way to go back. Myabe that office is swamped and can't handle the workload? Which I thought a long time ago. They can't handle the workload, and all the poor sob's who walk in are screwed.

The attorney explained to my wife what happens with my claims if I die. I needed her to know who talk to and what to do if/when the pancreas disease get's gone making me miserable.

I would gladly pay anything to win and never have to suffer though this horrific process again.

I am hoping so bad they take my case..... I can't deal with having amateurs holding my life in their hands.

My advice is if you think your case has any chance of being denied get professional help. Don't try to save money. Don't trust anyone that isn't a professional.

Maybe 30 and more years ago, the VA was fair, now it's all out war against all claimants. A fight to the death.

IMHO

[deanbrt]

If they take the case on contingency it is a good sign. But remember, you are one of many fish they are frying. You need to keep an eye on things yourself. The IMOs are critical. And they may pay for them now, but they will take it out of your award, if there is one.

Trust yourself and no one else...