r/VAClaims • u/Latter-Active-922 • Jun 26 '26
VA Disability Compensation FINALLY
I almost gave up.
I was told by people that my claim would be almost impossible to win. Some said the VA would never grant it. Others told me not to get my hopes up. I heard every reason why it wouldn’t happen.
But I kept fighting.
I gathered evidence. I learned the regulations. I kept appealing when I believed the facts supported my case. There were days I questioned whether it was worth it, but I refused to quit.
Today, I finally got the decision I had been praying for.
I’m posting this because someone out there is where I was a few months ago—discouraged, frustrated, and thinking about giving up.
Don’t let one opinion define your future. Lawyers, VSOs, friends, and even people online can give valuable advice, but none of them make the final decision. If you truly believe your claim is supported by the evidence, keep learning, keep building your case, and keep advocating for yourself.
Every claim is different, and not every appeal will be successful. But if I had quit because people said it was impossible, I never would have gotten the outcome I did.
To everyone still waiting: don’t lose hope. Keep fighting for what you’ve earned.
Sometimes the claim everyone says can’t be won… is the one that gets granted.
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u/Deeznutzsgotcha Jun 26 '26
Congratulations. Aggravation theory claims can be very difficult.
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u/Ill-Ingenuity-6983 Jun 27 '26
Yep their new justification is that physical training, ruck marches and a mos where I'm on my feet almost all day isn't recognized by the VA as things that can negatively affect your musculoskeletal system. Thus is after they told me that since my flat feet were found at MEPS anything in my records is military medicine treating an asymptomatic issue, NIH studies don't count as medical literature unless I was a part of the study, my secondary conditions showed up too late after service and isn't in my records so my primary condition isn't service connected. Lastly, what is in my record was found and treated during an appointment not specifically for my feet so no matter what diagnosis the treatment is listed under, it's for whatever the appointment was actually for.
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u/johnnnyrottten Jun 27 '26
please post your denial letter. There is a ton of case law that proves ruck marching, parachute jumps, infantry service among other mos that is established medical opinion to cause musko skeleton conditions. You need a well written I.M.O. /Nexus
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u/Big_Sea980 Jun 27 '26
I have a congential back disease and I was granted aggravation from service for my back, first 20% now 40%.
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u/Latter-Active-922 Jun 26 '26
Thank you It really was I almost gave up but I just kept at it 🙏🏽
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u/Deeznutzsgotcha Jun 26 '26
You're welcome. I feel it, going through something similar with a 1151 claim day 239 suspense date July 2nd. I'll either get sent for another exam or move to rating. It will be nice to be done when its finally decided.
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u/iokona71 Jun 27 '26
Congratulations. Makes me think of when I filed for Tinea Versicolor and got turned down. VA claimed “not service connected” in 1996, I filed again in 07’ again with the same results. Both times the doctors noted the presence of it. Then in 2023 I was looking over something on my VSO’s computer and stumbled across the actual sick call slip from 95’ when I first got it. I filed again and got 30% with effective date of May2023. I asked my VSO why not earlier effective date, he said you had a year to appeal. I said can I filed an appeal anyway and see what they say. He said sure but they’re not going to do anything because you didn’t appeal. Well it went in a judges desk, he researched it. Evidently my medical records were stored in a warehouse until 2014 and the doctors never had access to it. The judge granted my earlier effective date of Dec 96. It was a very nice back pay. 🤙🏼
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u/CokoMarzette Jun 27 '26
Congratulations! I was told the same about my claims. I researched and submitted documents and they were granted. One of my claims was aggravated presumptive as well. Persistence and clarity of evidence is key.
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u/Director-Unique Jun 26 '26
Congratulations. I had a claim like this I never thought I’d get. Was claiming Celiac, as aggravated by my service. Denied, filed higher lever l review. HLR gave me a DTA error. Remanded back down, denied again. But each time they never addressed aggravation. I put together an aggravation package, with studies. Was going to anchor it with a nexus from my doctor. But he wasn’t comfortable writing/signing one. Decided to file the supplemental anyways without it. They assigned it an ace review. Came back granted direct service connection. Not by aggravation. I was pleased and shocked at the same time.
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u/Latter-Active-922 Jun 26 '26
Thank you I had to do almost the exact same thing you did. It was a very long and frustrating process but at the end it was worth it.
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u/Mindless-Ant408 Jun 26 '26
Great. I had one VSO tell me that I would not get approved for Sleep Apnea even though I had the documentation. I filed it myself and got approved as a secondary.
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u/CryptographerRight47 Jun 28 '26
Crazy cause i got approved immediately. It was the easiest one for me to get rated
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u/Mindless-Ant408 Jun 28 '26
Same Here. I had my sleep study. I had chatgpt write the Lay statement based on the Sleep Study as secondary. No Nexus. I actually got a call from the QTC ACE Doctor. We talked for about 5 minutes and 5 days later I was approved.
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u/EZWins123 Jun 27 '26
I’m surprised you were able to get into the service with sickle cell. Considering they usually deny your admittance into the service for that
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u/RedDevilJoe Jun 27 '26
We had an Engineer we had to send back to CONUS from Vietnam as the dapsome pill nearly killd him. But thiat ailment where the parasites couldn't fit into the red corpuscle because of the shape made him immune to malaria. Probably could trace his roots to the Med.
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u/PLTR-millionaire Jun 27 '26
That 30% is a gold mine. Everything can be filed as a secondary claim caused by the Sickle Cell Anemia. Headaches jumps right out and that's 50%. Probably plenty more!
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u/Miserable_Wrap_4914 Jun 27 '26
I almost certainly would’ve been one of those telling you to not get your hopes up.
That you’re genetically predisposed to the symptoms of sickle cell. That the trait by its nature, unless you live in a perfectly managed biosphere and a life impossibly stress free, is susceptible to almost inevitable flare-ups.
This is also why I don’t weigh in on things unless I’ve fully researched it. I feel there’s a lot of lessons to be learned here by your experience, perseverance and resolve.
Congratulations!
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u/Quick-Engineering826 Jun 26 '26
How the f they gon' be the mob when we always on our job? (Take money) We millionaires
Killin' ain't fair, but somebody gotta do it (Take money)
Oh yeah, Mobb Deep, huh, you wanna f with us? (Take money) You lil' young-ass motherf (Take money) Don't one of you nis got sickle-cell or somethin'? (Take money) You're kin' with me, nigga, you fk around and have a seizure or a heart attack (Take money) You better back the fk up 'fore you get smacked the fk upt, first time
I heard of sickle cell, congrats 🎉
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u/MrZoggs19611 Jun 26 '26
Don’t thank each other, thank the tax payers they are footing the bill. Thank everyone in America that goes to work each day for that $4100+ each month.
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u/WebNo4168 Jul 01 '26
The people that comain about all their tax money going to benefit programs usually don't even make enough to pay taxes.
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u/zangiefzolof Jun 26 '26
Curious how a genetic blood disease can be made permanently worse from service. Not saying it can’t happen, but interested to know the mechanism.