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

     

Success

Rate this topic


peacecindia

Recommended Posts

Congrats. I honestly believe that the VA low balls most of us regarding PTSD. They do this to see who will fight and those who do not. I was first rated at 30%, but the QTC Doctor only spent 10 minutes with me. When, I put in a re-evaluation, and the second QTC Doctor examined me, it was for about an hour with a GAF of 51. But, like Carlie said, the GAF score is only a small part of it. This Doctor really wrote up an excellent report for me. I finally ended up with 100% + SMC S. So, fight.

Papa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 19
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

just a note, when the VA sends out a rating decision, they no longer go into detail and explain what is needed for the next higher evaluation like they used to do. If there is a denial, there will be an annotation, "Medical records were absent for this disability" It's insane, If they would follow their own laws, they should continue with the procedure they had in place before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

peacecindia

Congratulations that is a wonderful beginning! And if your VA Dr did that for you then you better hold on to that one. I couldn't get mine down here in the ATL to do anything had to depend on the VETCENTER which was great but the Dr wacko.png so hold on to that one

God Bless.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad you are finally getting a decent award, however remember you can appeal within one year of the date of your decision, not the date mailed, and not the date you received it! Continue to appeal and get what your disability truly establishes regarding your condition and the contributing factors.Good luck with your future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pete: 50% is a good start and like you say, 'my foot is in the door' and I'm thankful for that. I requested that my lawyer add COPD as secondary to PTSD and VA sent a letter to me recently saying I have a new claim, so I'm assuming the lawyer started a new claim on my behalf.

71m10: The C&P examiner said she had to follow a form on her computer. Was it a DBQ? It possibly was. If I didn't have a contract with a lawyer agreeing not to contact VA directly myself, I'd request a new C&P exam and ask if my SSDI is being taken into consideration.

I have to have faith that the lawyer knows more about VA regulations than I do and will do what he has to do. He said he'd have to get back to me after I sent him 3 emails as I reacted to my service connection letter and my VA therapist telling me the c&p examiner checked the wrong box. The lawyer responded by asking me what the VA therapist said.

Medical copays have been a bane for me and I truly resented VA garnishing my SSDI check for $50.00 each month.

It was pretty cool to get $40.00 in travel reimbursement from VA when I had to go to the C&P exam.

My daughter was a dependent while she was in school in 2006-2008 and could have qualified for educational benefits then and hopefully will get some benefits if I can get 100% service connection.

Berta & John: I will get an IMO (independent medical opinion) if it's necessary. Spending the money for an IMO would be an investment I agree.


My Timeline

  • Filed for VA compensation March 7, 2006
  • Awarded SSDI for PTSD May 30, 2008 (connected back to 2005)
  • I had the c&p exam on Dec 26, 2012
  • My SSDI check stopped being garnished on Jan. 3, 2013
  • I got the service connection letter on Jan 17, 2013
Edited by peacecindia
Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Tell a friend

    Love HadIt.com’s VA Disability Community Vets helping Vets since 1997? Tell a friend!
  • Recent Achievements

    • Lebro earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • spazbototto earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Paul Gretza earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Troy Spurlock went up a rank
      Community Regular
    • KMac1181 earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Our picks

    • 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.

      Rating Issues

      Continue Reading on HadIt.com
      • 0 replies
    • 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.  
      • 4 replies
    • 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.   
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Guidelines and Terms of Use