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Compensation Tips
All Tips Submitted By Veterans
TIP: Gathering all of your medical records you can locate is a must. Prior to submitting a claim for a service-connected disability it is crucial to the success of your claim that you first gather all of your service-medical records, civilian medical records, and any medical record associated with the claim your submitting. Depending on a variety of different circumstances, this could take some time, so start as early as possible in gathering records. FYI: Some veterans have reported it has taken 2 – 10 years to get their service-medical records. Civilian records are easier to get, but, may be costly.
TIP: Collect Lay Evidence from family, friends, and colleagues. In support of your medical records, using Buddy Statements and Lay Evidence from family and friends is a powerful accouterment to your medical records. Providing a little tutoring to those who will give you Buddy Statements and Lay Evidence is very important. Make it very clear they address only what they’ve seen from you. In other words, their observations of your disability and how it has affected your current daily functioning. There have been many cases where Lay Evidence was the determining factor that granted a service-connected disability victory for the veteran. Moreover, Lay Evidence is of utmost importance for veterans wanting an increase in their disability rating. Oftentimes, Lay Evidence is the sole body of evidence used to make a case for a disability rating increase.
TIP: Once you gather and organize your information make sure and file your claim as quickly as possible. Once you have your medical records, quickly submit your claim to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Some veterans have been known to sit on their records for months or even years before submitting their disability claim. Make sure you don’t. By quickly filing your disability claim, you will establish a date of submission, which will determine that date in which you receive possible back pay. So, don’t procrastinate. And, make a copy of everything you turn in. There has been hundreds of reports of VSOs misplacing disability applications. If mailing in your application make sure you send Certified with Return Receipt.
TIP: Record your C & P exam. Thousands of veterans have reported that the information documented by the C & P examiner is often much different from what occurred during the exam. Unfortunately, videotaping a C & P exam is not permitted by law, however, many veterans are hoping that changes soon. So, in the meantime, some veterans have recorded sessions using an audio recorder. Or, documented the details of the C & P exam immediately after the session. It is important to record everything possible that occurred during the exam, e.g., what the examiner said, what instruments the examiner used. Thousands of veterans document their session using USVCP’s Post Assessment Examination Form.