Is a secondary condition to my original service connected claim a good thing?

[Remisdad]

So I finally got my letter and of course my IU claim was denied. But the VARO service connected my thumb, index finger, and little finger as secondary to my original service connected disability. This seems like a good thing to me since it raised my rating by 10%.  Does this mean that my original claim and the secondary condition ratings can be raised separately?   I don't understand the VA like a lot of people on here so I was wondering if this is a good thing and also shouldn't this help with my appeal. 

[john999]

What is your current rating? A raise of just 10% usually won't have much impact on a TDIU claim unless it puts you over 60% with one disability of at least 40%.  Is the disability on your hand your primary hand?  Why were you denied TDIU?  Are you unable to work solely due to your SC disability. 

[Carl the Engineer]

"Does this mean that my original claim and the secondary condition ratings can be raised separately?"

Yes!

Your secondary condition is a separate condition from the original condition.  You can make a claim for an increase for either one or the other or both when either one or both conditions get worse.

Hamslice

 

[pacmanx1]

13 hours ago, Remisdad said:

So I finally got my letter and of course my IU claim was denied. But the VARO service connected my thumb, index finger, and little finger as secondary to my original service connected disability. This seems like a good thing to me since it raised my rating by 10%.  Does this mean that my original claim and the secondary condition ratings can be raised separately?   I don't understand the VA like a lot of people on here so I was wondering if this is a good thing and also shouldn't this help with my appeal. 

If you cannot work due to your service-connected disabilities, you can and should file an appeal. The VARO for some strange reason will deny a veterans claim and force the veteran to file a disagreement. Your choice of how to file but if you feel you cannot work then definitely file a disagreement. Also, you can file and get SSDI if you cannot work and get both TDIU and SSDI.

[john999]

If you can get TDIU and SSDI that is enough to live on for most of us.  By all means file the appeal.  The VA knows that once you get TDIU you will never work again and they will be paying you for the rest of your life.  Same goes for SSDI.  This is why IMO the VA often stalls on granting TDIU.  SSA will force you to get a lawyer and file many appeals before a judge.  Then you have to wait 2 years for Medicare.   VA higher ups do thing of themselves as guardians of the Fed's money.  They like to spend on buildings and land, but not so much to compensate vets.

[Remisdad]

Thanks all. I'm at 50% combined right now with 20% being my highest rated so my tdiu will have to be extraschedular. I will appeal it but I'm waiting on my last c&p exam report. The VA has had my request for 3 weeks and they're still evidence gathering.  They wear me out. Anyway on the letter I got it says that a higher evaluation of 30% is not warranted for the non dominant hand unless the evidence shows favorable ankylosis involving the index, long, ring, and little fingers. Then where they talk about my long finger they say that the claimed condition essentially effects four digits of the left hand and that is not dissimilar from suffering the favorable ankylosis of four digits (index, long, ring, and little fingers)  of the non dominant hand. 

That makes no sense to me!!!!