What Advice Would You Give To A Veteran Making A Veterans Affairs Disability Claim?

When you write up your claim, one of the most important things you can do is go on line and open the claim as soon as possible, the sooner the better as that date is when the rating will become effective. You have up to a year to do a final submission of your claim. Gather all your evidence during that time and try to submit it all at once, however if you've forgotten something, you can always add it to the claim even after you submitted the initial evidence. Regarding the claim, one of the most important things the VA looks at is how the disability has and is impacting you, your family, coworkers, friends, etc. In other words how difficult has it made you to do your job, to socialize with those around you, has it impacted your sleep, how does it make you feel, who have you seen for the condition, how often do you see that person for your condition, do you have the medical documentation to back up those appointments, have you had to cancel plans due to the condition. It doesn't matter how trivial you might think an instance might be, the more information you can provide, the more descriptive you can be, the better your chances of getting the highest rating for that condition. Also, if you are able to do it, do a search on the VA website for medical forms the VA uses to evaluate conditions, review the questions on the forms and make sure you are able to answer every question clearly and concisely. If a question does not apply then answer it as non applicable (N/A). If you have family members or friends that are aware of your condition, ask them to write buddy letters to support your claim and how it has impacted you and them. If you can download those forms, take it with you to your Dr. appointment and see if your Dr. is willing to complete the form and sign it for you. Some Dr's will do it and some won't. What I did was to print two copies of the form and I filled out one copy and provided it to the Dr. along with the blank form and let them know it could be used as a reference for them if they aren't sure how the condition impacts you. The form doesn't have to be typed out, it can be hand written, but it needs to be legible. There are some things on the form you may have to provide the Dr. Such as your address, social security number, etc., you can provide that information on a separate piece of paper that you can attach to the form for them. If they aren't willing to complete the form, ask them if they can provide you a narrative that summarizes your condition. By the way, I wouldn't take that form to a Dr. On the first visit. I would recommend waiting until you've seen that Dr. A couple of times for the condition. Doing so allows them to have a clearer image of your situation. And most importantly, don't be afraid to embellish your claim, but don't lie. Be truthful and concise. Once you're claim has been reviewed by the VA, you will receive a letter for an exam by a specialist. The letter will tell you where to go and who you will be seeing. When you receive that letter, you may also receive a phone call before or after to determine when you are available to attend the appointment. Make sure you are able to attend the appointment that is scheduled. If not, there is a phone number on the letter that you can call to reschedule. You are only allowed to reschedule the appointment once, so keep that in mind. Before you attend the appointment, review and re review all the documents that were submitted for the claim and make sure you write down dates that may have been mentioned in the claim that you can take with you to use as a reference during the interview. The last thing you want to do is misstate something during the interview that contradicts the claim, so be sure to understand and recall what was submitted. Also if you have new evidence that wasn't included in the initial claim, make sure you highlight that during the interview. And one final item about the interview, don't hold back, you can be emotional when you recall the evidence, if you have the urge to cry when explaining how painful something was, don't hold back, but don't go overboard either, just be yourself and be honest. Lastly, be patient. Not all claims are the same, yours may take longer especially if it is a complex claim. Good luck

I previously worked and volunteered as a Service Officer for DAV & VFW in Phila, PA. In today's bureaucratic VA Administration nightmare, "GET A LAWYER!!" The VA is going all paperless and encouraging Veterans to do their claim via computer. NOVA (National Organization Veterans Assistance), lawyers who assist Veterans from Washington just held a Webinar to show lawyers how to prepare their clients for virtual C & P exams. Are you kidding me? The VA is also doing away with DBQ forms. These forms are so vital in collecting the most pertinent medical evidence a Veteran or their representative could possibly get. Get A lawyer!!

First and foremost use someone specialized in the claim process. Like the DAV or VFW. They are specialized in helping people through this process. From my own personal experience of doing it myself and not wanting to feel like a “complainer” I never put all the information out there. We are taught so often to just put our heads down and work through it, and this is definitely not one of those times. Do yourself the biggest favor you can and tell them about every ache, pain, and mental health problem you have. At the end of the day let them tell you it’s not “service connected” and then appeal their decision and get it reevaluate. Sadly the VA is a business first and foremost so the individuals making the decisions do not always have your best interest at mind.

Get a lawyer.

Before leaving Active Duty get a copy of your medical and dental files, there will never be an easy time. If you are in the Reserves or Guard same thing. The National Guard expects that you will report any civilian treatment to them; if you are receiving any treatment for an injury or illness that could be (or was) aggravated by duty make sure your civilian provider forwards treatment records to your Deputy State Surgeon's Office. Always see a medical provider for any injury received on duty, with Tricare being so inexpensive there is no excuse for any service member to be uninsured. Keep a copy of all documentation of medical issues, and turn one into your medical records clerk. (This includes sick call slips, I know a MSG who because he had a copy of a sick call slip, I was able to trace a phone call that was logged in at the neurologist office to change the scope of an MRI. That was the key piece in his LOD, and his eventual VA disability.) Do not violate your profile unless your life is in danger. If you do these things while still in uniform, it will make it much easier for you later to claim any disability benefits to which you are entitled.