Need Some Help

[rwoods04]

Just looking for some help. VA sent me back a letter and ask if wanted a DRO review and selected yes....so when will I hear something from them concerning that and how long will the process be.

[Buck52]

rwoods04

you should hear from them in a week or two scheduling you the DRO Review, mine was within 60 days but every RO is different depends on the backlog I would guess?

hang in there bud!

......................Buck!

[Gastone]

What type of DRO Review did you request, Review or DRO Personal Hearing? With the straight review, you won't know anything until you get the Award or the Denial with a Supplemental Statement of Case. The DRO hearing takes longer but the Face to Face worked for me. I left the Hearing after about 35 min knowing all issues were awarded. Time frame wise, my 09/10 NOD requesting the DRO Hearing took about 41/2 yrs, awarded this past 06/14.

With either type of DRO Review it is crucial and absolutly mandatory that you have "New & Material Evidence" and provide it to your VARO immediately, if not sooner. Without the N&M Evidence, your claim is doomed. A fellow Nam Vet that I meet with thought he requested the DRO Hearing in the 11th month of his Denial. Immagine his surprise when he got anther Denial with a Supplemental-SOC about 10 months later. Turns out his DAV Rep didn't request the DRO Hearing and my friend had been setting on what he thought would be New Evidence, thinking he would present it at his DRO Hearing that never took place. He's now on the BVA Train Ride with no station in sight. It's ok to trust your VSO-Rep but you must verify everything that is done on your behalf, it's your claim not theirs. Who knows how his DRO Hearing request got screwed up and at this point really doesn't matter.

Semper Fi

Gastone

[rwoods04]

Gastone they didn't ask me which one just said choose DRO review or BVA

[rwoods04]

Buck, did you have face to face hearing???

[rwoods04]

Buck,

No, nothing yet just a letter asking which one a DRO or BVA.

[broncovet]

DRO vs BVA is controversial. I will offer my take, since I have been awarded benefits both at the DRO level and at the BVA also.

1. If you elect DRO review or hearing and lose, you can still appeal at the BVA. However, if you do it this way, it could take longer. (It could also be shorter, if you are awarded benefits at the DRO level.

2. If you decline DRO review, then understand a trip to the BVA currently takes about 3 years or so.

3. A DRO review means you get "another bite at the apple", that is, one more person "can" award you benefits.

4. The "downside" to the DRO review is mostly time. It takes longer to go to DRO- Review, then BVA, than to just go "straight" to the BVA.

My suggestion is that if you have "new" evidence, then go for the DRO. If you dont have any new evidence to submit then go right to the BVA.