TDIU

[Combat eng]

My attorney just filed my appeal claim for TDIU. The vocational expert submitted a 15 page report. I have never thought that the report would be so detailed. How much weight does the VA give to such reports? I feel that it can't hurt.

[brokensoldier244th]

I would recommend sending in the whole report, just literally highlight the relevant sections that stick out the most in LIGHT highlighter (if you mail it in it will get scanned anyway, and light highlighter shows up better- dark just redacts things!). We read long reports all the time, its what we do all day long (VSRs and Raters) so don't let the length scare you- just mark the important parts that correspond with your contentions, though, that will save reading time and draw the eye to the specifics. Make notes in the margins that relate to other documents or time frames, if you need/want to, just write clearly, please, no doctorese. I see enough corpsman scrawl already as it is, and it's REALLLY difficult for me to find the needle when I can't read half of it. None of them use standard abbreviations for medical stuff, either, so Ive had to create a text/sticky on my computer desktop with all the ones that I find that deviate from the 'standard'. Ugh!  Makes my day interesting.

 

-not a rater- im a development VSR. Im what happens to your file BEFORE the rater-

 

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Bronc- we all use Adobe as standard for PDFs- CTRL F is our friend. I, as a rule, start with CTRL-F and look for specific words relating to body parts related to the contention, and then variations of. "apnea", "sleep apnea", "OSA", "sleep disturbance", etc, and I also look for the "at least as likely", "likely..." etc in Dbq reports to find a lot of things. Doctors don't always put their opinion in the opinion block I have discovered so far, so I look for it buried in regular text through the whole report. Same with Capri medical notes, and whatnot. 

That is for PDFs. If a PDF is scanned as an "image" Adobe takes a dump and has a lot harder of a time finding things. I hate personnel files from the Services- they all scan everything in as an image half the time, same with CID, NCIS, etc (if im working an MST case). THOSE take forever because I do have to read them in their entirety to find things. 

[broncovet]

broken soldier

   Thank you. While doing an adobe acrobat searh is a good idea, it does not always work for multiple reasons:

1.  Im not sure it searches handwritten text, only printed.  For me, this is about a third of my cfile, and nearly all of the important stuff before 2002, and in service.  

2.  Im not even sure if all my cfile has been scanned in, and WHEN that happened, but almost certainly, since I applied in 2002, NONE of it was scanned in then.  

3.  We dont always know "what key words" to use.  A doctor does not always say things using key words that make it easily searchable.  

     Still, even with the limitations, its a good idea, but it only partially works at best.  

 

[brokensoldier244th]

Nope, no hand written. There are systems that can do that but not at VA, more like Ft. Meade . 

It wouldn't have been scanned in 2002, they hadn't started that initiative yet.

 

Im aware that not every key word is searchable- thats why I still spend hours a day eyeballing things. I don't JUST use search and call it a day, and neither do a lot of the VRCs I work with. Im sure there are those that do- I find the results of their lack of initiative every day, but its no different than any office functionary in any office in any company or agency anywhere. It happens, and will continue to. All I can do is fire off emails when I find something particularly egregious to whatever RO coach supervisor I have an address for in that office, and let them deal with it. 

[Fat]

Where can you find a vocational rehabilitation specialist for Social Security Disability purposes?

This information might be helpful to a family member whom is in the SS disability process.

[pacmanx1]

24 minutes ago, Fat said:

Where can you find a vocational rehabilitation specialist for Social Security Disability purposes?

You can check with most SSA benefit lawyers or the SSA Office.

[Fat]

Thanks.......

So an attorney representing them would know how to contact a vocational rehabilitation specials.

Great information.  I will pass it along.