I was recently advised (by IRIS) to submit a request for reconsideration of my claims due to the VA Special Claims Handling Procedure for Missing Documents. Has anyone had any experience with going this route?

Oddly enough I just advised a vet I know off the hadit board to do just that.

He filed a Special Claims HAndling Request and even included the VA Fast letter on this when they said they didnt have the prime evidence he sent to them ( costly IMOs of course- they only lost,shredded or spoilated the good stuff- funny how they never lose a faulty C & P -

they are just sitting on his request and he prepared a NOD due to a decision that obviously did not account for this critical evidence.

I suggested he file a Request for Reconsideration but to state that if the request does not properly resolve the claim issues to consider it also as a formal NOD too.

I also suggested that he list in the request and attach again copies of the evidence that VA says is missing from his C file.He also is mentioning his request under the VA Special Procedure Fast letter which he sent but which has not been resolved.

There is plenty of info on this here and at VA Watchdog and there is also a copy of the Fast letter here-

Your evidence for this type of request is what the SOC failed to consider and copies of your USPS proof of mailing this information. I sent them scan in color of 53 dated USPS tracking slips of evidentiary submissions for 8 years and my SOCs didnt mention any of that evidence at all.
I was still in process of copying it all again when the BVA found my IMos and some evidence in the file (probably because I sent copies to the BVA as well- and they awarded.

What VARO do you deal with?

The scuttlebutt among vets advocates is that in spite of all the H VAC hearings on 'shreddergate'-or Document Tampering as those hearings were called- VA has prepared nothing at all documented and viable as to how to handle these claims affected by the document mishandling hearings.

Then again a reconsideration request sure makes sense-
but I advised this other vet to raise the NOD issue too- in case they dont handle his request within the NOD year and then they could try to say he did not appeal the claim in time.

[quote name='Berta' date='Jul 3 2009, 11:14 AM' post='152688']
Oddly enough I just advised a vet I know off the hadit board to do just that.

He filed a Special Claims HAndling Request and even included the VA Fast letter on this when they said they didnt have the prime evidence he sent to them ( costly IMOs of course- they only lost,shredded or spoilated the good stuff- funny how they never lose a faulty C & P -

they are just sitting on his request and he prepared a NOD due to a decision that obviously did not account for this critical evidence.

I suggested he file a Request for Reconsideration but to state that if the request does not properly resolve the claim issues to consider it also as a formal NOD too.

I also suggested that he list in the request and attach again copies of the evidence that VA says is missing from his C file.He also is mentioning his request under the VA Special Procedure Fast letter which he sent but which has not been resolved.

There is plenty of info on this here and at VA Watchdog and there is also a copy of the Fast letter here-

Your evidence for this type of request is what the SOC failed to consider and copies of your USPS proof of mailing this information. I sent them scan in color of 53 dated USPS tracking slips of evidentiary submissions for 8 years and my SOCs didnt mention any of that evidence at all.
I was still in process of copying it all again when the BVA found my IMos and some evidence in the file (probably because I sent copies to the BVA as well- and they awarded.

What VARO do you deal with?

The scuttlebutt among vets advocates is that in spite of all the H VAC hearings on 'shreddergate'-or Document Tampering as those hearings were called- VA has prepared nothing at all documented and viable as to how to handle these claims affected by the document mishandling hearings.

Then again a reconsideration request sure makes sense-
but I advised this other vet to raise the NOD issue too- in case they dont handle his request within the NOD year and then they could try to say he did not appeal the claim in time.

[/quote]


Thanks for the tips! I deal with the Atlanta office, and they have never responded to anything I've written them about. Maybe this time.....