Help with request

[Hippiesix]

Hello all, I currently have 20% VA disability I submitted a new claim for a TBI I received on active duty, I logged in today and had a request 1, and request 4. It said 4 was optional, request one states: “We are requesting your service treatment records from the service department. You do not need to contact the service department yourself. If you have your service treatment records already in your possession, please submit a copy of them to us.” all of my treatments were done either at a military hospital mainly Landsthul or with the VA, and I submitted all of those documents when when I done my claim, do I need to send them all again? Thanks in advance 

[brokensoldier244th]

If it's submitted electronically it is loaded into the cfile within a few hours. If it's mailed then it's got  to be scanned in.

As for duplicates it does matter. All of that has to be looked at during a claim by humans, and each labeled, which extends the time it takes to find the relevant evidence. You wanna send in things 6 times, fine, but it's going to take me 3 times as long to figure out what is and isn't a duplicate. And after the 4th time seeing the same thing it starts to get fatiguing. We aren't machines.

Consider that an STR is several hundred pages even if someone was only in for several months. Same with Capri/vamc records. Just saying, consider that before you send in 200 pages of stuff that you got off WebMD - like someone I had today. And they intermixed it with actual medical stuff from their doctor. After a point is diminishing returns on your part and you're making it harder. 

[Buck52]

Brokensolider  thats true but I guess its up to the Veteran if he wants to send in many many copies of his records is  his choice  and I can see where it slows the claims process down.

I sent in records the va already had  but I didn't know they had them at the time I worked my claims  I always sent them what I had  and made copies for my folder here at home,   but the duplicates is not needed to win a claim  its what in them , so we actually don't need to send in anything the VA Already has  if veterans send in duplicates  all that does is just crowd their C-File and make it harder  on who has to shift through them.

I would send in anything they ask for if I have it.  but I would send them one copy and not 10 copies. and of course make a copy for myself. 

And if snail mail I got the certified return receipts   I just sent my R.O. MY NEW ADDRESS with certified return receipt  which I   just got back yesterday.

[Carl the Engineer]

I always send my medical records with my claims, whether I can determine or not that the VA has them.  And they have them.

But, what I do NOW, which I didn't before, is, I bring them with me to the C&P.  It actually helped me show the examiner what I was claiming and referencing, etc.  

I claimed HBP and was denied because my criteria did not meet the guidelines for a rating.  So, after some thought, I decided to ask for an increase for the issue with the same medical evidence 8 years later.  But this time, I brought the two pages with me that the VA has had from the git go.  Even though, the two pages did not exactly meet the criteria, my point (with my finger) and my explanation, was enough for the examiner to agree with me and I was granted a higher rating, from zero to 10%.  In this case, the criteria the VA uses/d was unobtainable. 

Simply, in my case, the VA reg states that you have to have elevated blood pressure reading, three readings, twice in the same day.  Well, in regular practice that is never going to happen.  So, if, while on active duty, you didn't know the VA regulations and asked for 3 readings twice, you would never have the ability to meet that requirement.

Same as if the VA only gives you are rating for hearing loss if you have three hearing tests on the same day while in service.  Which would never happen.

VA is sneaky,

Hamslice 

 

 

Edited January 11, 2021 by Hamslice

[GBArmy]

Good advise from Hamslice. I always bring a copy of my evidence to the C&P exam. I would say something like " as evidenced by x,y,z". By the way, if you didn't see that, I happen to have a copy with me..." Most of the time the examiner has seen and declines the evidence I brought, but sometimes it was not seen for whatever reason. If you are polite and don't force it on them, it usually goes well either way. But sometimes, yes, it is very important because the examiner can say, ok, he will check it out, but not do so later, and there goes your evidence. 

[Buck52]

Yes I agree  it's always a good thing to take your records with you to a C&P Exam  records  that may help your claim    simply because some times the VA don't send the examiner all your records...incase the examiner don't have them? and at times you may need to ask the examiner if he/she has them  if they don't  then you can whip them out and give to the examiner.