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 

  • homepage-banner-2024.png

  • donate-be-a-hero.png

Appeal Success!

Rate this topic


SomethingLost

Recommended Posts

  • HadIt.com Elder

I was rated 10% in 1973. Due to many circumstances I did not file an appeal. I can tell you I regret it. The VA was very hostile to vets with MH claims in those days. Perhaps I felt I was lucky to get even 10%. I did not understand the system at all. I do not even remember filing the claim. I did not have a VSO as far as I know. If I did they never contacted me. With the evidence I had if the VA had even looked at it I should have gotten a much higher rating. Years later I am trying to CUE that evil low ball rating. I am losing so far. The moral is to appeal every rating if it is not what you think you deserve. Once your claim becomes final you are pretty well screwed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone know how long it usually takes from the point of winning the appeal to the time you get your rating from the RO? I know there is no precise answer, but a ballpark would be better than what I have now. I'm not retired, so there shouldn't be any hold up with DFAS or anything. The worst part of this stage is your appeal status has been settled in ebenefits and there is no way to track whatever stage this is.

I keep checking the letter generator every day, or a few times a day, but that's the only thing I have to go off of from here.

-SomethingLost.

Edited by SomethingLost
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I just wanted to post an update in case anyone was watching or will hit this post with a search in the future for some sort of a timeline of ratings after appeal success. I received my appeal success letter from the BVA on 28 March 2014 but am still waiting for a grant of rating from the RO. An inquiry through IRIS was returned with the answer that no status can be given at this stage of the process. No timeline for completion, no way to track other than check benefit letter through letter generator on eBenefits or wait for the BBE to eventually show up.

-SL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • HadIt.com Elder

I don't know of any timeline for an actual percentage rating after success at the BVA. I think that is happens pretty fast in the VA Time/Space world. That means 3 to 6 months but not definite. When you get the actual percentage if it is not what you think you deserve and you have the evidence then appeal it. The VA often starts with the lowest rating and during subsequent appeals and claims for increase it goes up. I say get new evidence and keep the ball rolling right away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello1 DO NOT GIVE UP APPEAL.APPEAL,APPEAL

Thats what i did for 27 years.

I actually got disgusted and closed my case for 6 years because i never thought i would get connected.

Then in 2010 i gave some minor new evidence and the VA reopened my case.Still three more denials.I requested a C&P for PTSD

and they granted it ,finally anxiety reaction and unstable personality were diagnosed which was the diagnosis in 1966 PTSD and i got a 30% rating for that.

Also at issue was a heart disease claim from the same hospital in 1966

Please do not give up,especially with the problems at the VA now coming to light

After getting 30% SC for PTSD i began to persue denials of my heart claim and with evidence alot of it ,still denied again i asked for a in person HEARING .Two and a half years later i got a letter saying the hearing was in OCTOBER this year.

by that time i had gotten a good lawyer to represent me and i never had to go to the hearing.

The judge called my lawyer and everything was settled over the phone

I had received 100% scheduler for my heart claim and 50 % ptsd with all CHAPTER 35 benies.

If any case is relevant to keep fighting, this is it.

I got 6 figure back pay and am treated quite differentl by the VA Also they were stating in my award letter that my case was now closed and considered settled

I guess they got tired of me [who knows]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, John and Doogie. I appreciate your kind words. Once I get my rating I'll post back and update everyone. Then I guess it will be time to decide whether another appeal is warranted or not. You'd think I'd be a little better at this waiting thing. Us vets sure get a lot of practice!

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

    • RICHKAY earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • pacmanx1 earned a badge
      Great Content
    • czqiang1079 earned a badge
      First Post
    • Vicdamon12 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Panther8151 earned a badge
      One Year In
  • 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