TBI and PTSD VES exams

[chamilton]

hello all! this is my first post and my first time trying to increase my VA disability.  I was in the Marines (0311 grunt) I served from 2005 to 2009 with multiple pumps to Iraq. my company op was in a around Hit, Ramadi, AQ ect.

I currently have a 0 % service connected for PTSD and TBI.

back in May of 2019 I applied for compensation increase for the first time. 

i currently rec. 20% for back and ringing of ears.

my question  is this . what do you all see my % going up to ?  

I already had my PTSD c and p appt.  while i did not request a TBI increase,the va added it on my ebenfits as a "residuals of TBI"  request for clarification

is this a good thing? any of you have this happen to you and what was your final outcome? my appt is today at 9am. 

anything you can help with would be great. 

[ShrekTheTank]

So It is hard to say where the VA will land you for PTSD.  The reason they are doing the TBI is they are covering all of their bases.  They want to make sure they catch everything as they could have missed an injury adding to your PTSD.  As for the rating here is the chart and you can see where you feel you fit in.

These are things they will be looking for at the C&P, so I would take this with you and talk about each point here so the rater has a clear picture of where you are at.  

[Buck52]

Check the criteria for your S.C. Conditions??

   as to what they should rate you?  what the symptoms are and the severity of them.

  you need a qualified Dr to give his/her medical opinion as to the severity  and then check the rating criteria for each condition...some veterans will go on to request their s.c. conditions to be rated to the highest extent allowed by law.

[El Train]

Yes it is a good thing.  Sounds like your original rating at 0% is low.  VA will sometimes lowball you to see if you just accept it.  I had two different C&P's for PTSD increase and TBI two weeks later.  A month later a C&P for headaches was ordered (not by me).  TBI c&p went good.  Should get approved no problem.  Not sure about the headaches yet.  I haven't got the copy of the c&p yet.

The c&p for PTSD increase went bad from the start.  I handed her an outside dbq and nexus that was critical of my first c&p and separating tbi.  She was not amused.  To put it lightly.  She crafted her c&p in a way to reduce, ignoring all evidence given to her.  She basically called me a liar (unreliable reporter).  So I got a formal complaint going against that DR.   So we shall see.  Sorry to get off subject.

[chamilton]

Buck52 I dont know what that is or how to get it.

Until like 12 months ago I didn't even know we could file for increase of disability. I've been at 20% since 2009. 

[Buck52]

15 hours ago, chamilton said:

Buck52 I dont know what that is or how to get it.

Until like 12 months ago I didn't even know we could file for increase of disability. I've been at 20% since 2009. 

Look at this  schedule rating critera for Mental Health Rating..check each one FROM 10% TO 100% and look at your symptoms   and select the closes critera that meet your symptom's for PTSD. As check on your C&P Exam by the examiner....if you don't agree and don't like what they rated you   you can Appeal within one year after you get your decision.

  ** Now the rater will need to decipher the differential difference between PTSD AND THE TBI.?

  I am not that familiar  with the TBI and how they differentiate the symptoms.

General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders

   Rating

Total occupational and social impairment, due to such symptoms as: gross impairment in thought processes or communication; persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation to time or place; memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation, or own name.100%

Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control (such as unprovoked irritability with periods of violence); spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances (including work or a worklike setting); inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.70%

Occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to such symptoms as: flattened affect; circumstantial, circumlocutory, or stereotyped speech; panic attacks more than once a week; difficulty in understanding complex commands; impairment of short- and long-term memory (e.g., retention of only highly learned material, forgetting to complete tasks); impaired judgment; impaired abstract thinking; disturbances of motivation and mood; difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.50%

Occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks (although generally functioning satisfactorily, with routine behavior, self-care, and conversation normal), due to such symptoms as: depressed mood, anxiety, suspiciousness, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss (such as forgetting names, directions, recent events).30%

Occupational and social impairment due to mild or transient symptoms which decrease work efficiency and ability to perform occupational tasks only during periods of significant stress, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication.10%

A mental condition has been formally diagnosed, but symptoms are not severe enough either to interfere with occupational and social functioning or to require continuous medication.0%

 

[Buck52]

chamilton

can you put up a redacted copy of the c&p exam you just had? we need to see what the examiner check on this exam?