199 and CRSC

Padraigp1 said:
Hey guys, question regarding evidence. I do have a Purple Heart/CAB and commentary in my records saying that it is reported my back and hip problems come from an IED incident. I assume that’s probably enough for those but can I also claim tinnitus as connected, which for sure it is, when there’s no real medical record commentary connecting it? Is it feasible to attempt to claim knee and foot problems are connected to “simulated combat” trainings from time on the 82nd GRF when I don’t have any single specific incident in which these things were reported hurt in medical documentation. I do have all these things as approved VA claims but don’t feel I have any great medical records to link directly to specific “combat simulation” exercises.

Is it unrealistic or ridiculous to claim to the latter. I guess I’m just looking to see if anyone knows how strict the crsc evidence guidelines are for whoever reviews these things.

Thanks for any and all help!
Click to expand...
No, definitely NOT unrealistic - claim as little or as much as you want (I vote for the latter ), especially if you have a combat-related award: PH/CIB/CAB/CMB/BS/SS or ANY award with a "V" device, i.e. for "Valor", or ANY equivalent combat-related award for the other service branches. (for those who are unsure my abbreviations: Purple Heart/Combat Infantry Badge/Combat Action Badge/Bronze Star/Silver Star)
 
Thanks Ron G and Col Mike! I was medically retired a few years ago now and was very happy to get the 100% VA and figured I could still work and after 6 months of constantly taking time off because my whole body hurts so bad I figure I’ll try my hand at this CRSC thing because anything will help. I’ll be sending out a submission package in a few days and let you know how it goes!
 
Padraigp1 said:
Thanks Ron G and Col Mike! I was medically retired a few years ago now and was very happy to get the 100% VA and figured I could still work and after 6 months of constantly taking time off because my whole body hurts so bad I figure I’ll try my hand at this CRSC thing because anything will help. I’ll be sending out a submission package in a few days and let you know how it goes!
Click to expand...
If you want, I can review your packet before you submit it to give you a better chance of success. No harm, no foul if you don't want me to, but why risk leaving money on the table ;)
 
Follow up question, luckily, because I long ago lost my casualty feeder card from getting blown up, I do have one in theater physical therapy encounter in my records that states in the disposition “battle injury.” So Purple Heart and all aside that’s definitely my most solid evidence, also along with SIR I have describing the entire incident well. Question is that physical therapy encounter addresses my back and hip but not knees. Every mention of knee pain over the years to doctors was overshadowed by back pain complaints, etc. knees are both an approved VA claim but because there’s no mention of them in medical records aside from the VA claim is that something they would consider connecting to combat related or am I out of luck there?
 
Oh I just realized I basically asked the same thing originally never mind no worries. I have looked around the internet to get an idea of other cases and came across a page that had endless court docs of different cases by the board of corrections, some approved, some denied. There were some legit claims on there but maaaannnn 9/10 were people claiming acne, hemroids, carpel tunnel from typing, just all kinds of stuff that I was like ehhhh… not saying some of those aren’t at times secondary or legitimate in some way but most of them had either no evidence or very weak and irrelevant evidence, or incidents where they claimed injury in a state side training exercise but it was shown in medical records the same injury from playing sports or even like tripping over a tree root while wearing combat gear. One record even quoted a guy as saying “I personally know other people that were approved CRSC for non combat connected things so I believe I should also get it” not verbatim but essentially. So yea thousands of those claims clogging up
The system I’m sure.
 
I see the way the government wastes tax dollars both in our own nation as well as just handing money away to foreign nations, even Iran… so a big part of me is like well veterans get screwed in a bunch of ways so take whatever you can get but at the same time there are probably some many legitimate claims out there for people in real need that get bogged down in months and months of waiting for these fairytale claims.
 
Padraigp1 said:
Follow up question, luckily, because I long ago lost my casualty feeder card from getting blown up, I do have one in theater physical therapy encounter in my records that states in the disposition “battle injury.” So Purple Heart and all aside that’s definitely my most solid evidence, also along with SIR I have describing the entire incident well. Question is that physical therapy encounter addresses my back and hip but not knees. Every mention of knee pain over the years to doctors was overshadowed by back pain complaints, etc. knees are both an approved VA claim but because there’s no mention of them in medical records aside from the VA claim is that something they would consider connecting to combat related or am I out of luck there?
Click to expand...
You make a very good point about alternate supporting documents: SIR, casualty feeder cards, in-theater medical notes are all excellent alternatives if available, and that's a huge "if" because we all know that "what happens in theater, stays in theater" because so much shit gets lost, sadly.
 
RetiredColonel-MikeT said:
You make a very good point about alternate supporting documents: SIR, casualty feeder cards, in-theater medical notes are all excellent alternatives if available, and that's a huge "if" because we all know that "what happens in theater, stays in theater" because so much shit gets lost, sadly.
Click to expand...
Absolutely, honestly like many others, much of the time we were required to see our company medics or bn aid station in the infantry battalions before escalating to a higher level and most of that care wasn’t usually documented at all. I know a few guys that had open wounds that were somewhat minor and concussions that were really TBIs who got aid from medic, patched up and ibuprofen and that was about it. Some of those guys ETSd without probably having official records and will wind up being denied if they’ve attempted various claims even for VA. I’m lucky I went to the FOB treatment folks for physical therapy to have a medical encounter note that was actually written and input to the computer system.
 
So luckily I was able to find the DA form 5181 they filled out on me at the little fob troop clinic when I got blown up and it does make mention of back, hip, and knees so I submitted a claim with that and a few other medical records, award orders, CAB narrative describing events, and all the other necessary VA forms, etc. the CRSC HRC branch sent back an email receipt and a note that currently they are taking 90 days to process claims. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top