VSR phases question

[usmc2511]

So I've got a friend who is also out of the Waco RO. We both submitted claims for increase on one service connected contention both as FDC"s. I submitted mine about a week before his and he received a call 2 days later to schedule a C&P exam. He already had it done and his claim moved to PFD. Mine has not moved out of "under review", could this be because they don't need any more info and it will go to decision phase next? Is there a certain amount of time that VSR will hold a claim in review before pushing it to the next phase? Just seems strange that we basically did the exact same thing with the exception of him needing a C&P and his is flying and mine hasn't moved. They are also both being worked out of Waco RO and haven't gone to another RO since submitting them. 

[jfrei]

It could mean more evidence is required which could move it out of the FDC program depending on what's needed. Don't know any of the details about how many Disabilities you had on your claim if he had only one or two that's the reason hard to say with no details about both your claims.

[Buck52]

I believe its the rater you get ,some raters will get on our claims and'' read'' if all T's &I's are crossed and a well laid out claim with evidence in tact  they will move the claim  a lot faster than a rater who just puts in on his desk and lets it lie there for days before picking it up and reading it...ect,,ect,,,

JMO

[usmc2511]

Thanks for the replies, My claim is for an increase in an already service connected condition and only one contention. Yeah just seems like some claims fly through the process and others kind of sit around for a while. Im hoping maybe they don't need anymore evidence and are just waiting to push it forward soon. Im just not sure why it would sit there and not be pushed to the next phase if everything was already there. I submitted a DBQ and all medical records including a ton of diagnostic testing along with previous testing for comparisons.  Not in a huge hurry just curious as to why some claims get held up..... my buddies claim also needed a C&P appointment, which has already been scheduled and completed. 

[MikeHunt]

under review could mean it was pulled for a quality review, although I'm not sure eBenefits would reflect something like that; eBenefits uses different terms than the RO does.

VSRs can't 'hold' claims- The new standards allow it to be in your queue only five days, IIRC.

Call your POA and ask whats up for tracked items.

[broncovet]

I agree with Buck.  If you take 40 helium filled balloons in your hand and release them all at once, you will find the baloons dont stay together.  The can wind up miles, or even hundreds of miles apart.  

A part of it is "the luck of the draw", most importantly who you got for a rater, and who you get for a c and p exam, and even your Regional offices vary greatly.  While we would all love to be able to compare our claim to "so and so's claim", these claims are handled by people and people have widely different views on Veterans, and disabiities, so you get widely differing results.  

If I asked 100 people, for example, "Who is Buck Rogers?", I would likely get widely varied answers.  

[usmc2511]

Well the 1800 number says that they haven't even looked at the claim yet. Basically she said it is waiting to be reviewed by a VSR to make sure all documents that are needed to rate are there. Just seems strange to me that no one would've even looked at it yet. She said under review is just a phase to make sure everything is there before it is sent to prep for decsision.