CONTACTS
SUBJECTS
Bergmann & Moore David Adams Attorney Hired File Appeal
0603 -
0603 - ..
0604 - Summary/Objective
0605 -
060501 - Follow up ref SDS 83 0000. ref SDS 82 0000.
060502 -
060503 -
060504 - [On 240509 1948 letter to Sarah follows up on filing
060505 - another supplemental claim for Compensation. ref SDS 84
060506 - KZ6M
060507 -
060508 -
060509 -
060510 -
060512 - ..
0606 -
0607 -
0608 - Background
0609 -
060901 - On 100604 1520 received notice from VA dated 100525 granting award of
060902 - Pension benefits for total and permenant disibility (TAPD) citing CABG
060903 - and achalasia. ref SDS 3 RM9N
060905 - ..
060906 - On 210311 1012 letter to Lauren in Primary Care at VAMCSF, requesting
060907 - assistance resolving dispute pension dispute. ref SDS 10 WG54
060909 - ..
060910 - On 220726 101741 received letter dated 220714, from VA denying appeal
060911 - by Nathan Johnson to convert Pension claim on 091222, to compensation.
060912 - ref SDS 26 YT8L
060914 - ..
060915 - On 220728 0749 called Law Offices of Katrina Eable and left message
060916 - about this matter. ref SDS 27 I24L
060918 - ..
060919 - Only remedy seems to be filing...
060920 -
060921 - Appeal to Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and this must
060922 - be done OB 221111
060924 - ..
060925 - ...shown at bottom of VA order in the record on 220726 1017,
060926 - ref SDS 26 0K7L
060927 -
060929 - ..
060930 - On 220726 101741 sent letter to Nathan explaining errors in VA
060931 - decision, ref SDS 26 9Q8O,
060933 - ..
060934 - On 220726 101741 received letter from Nathan recommending calling
060935 - Katrina Eagle. ref SDS 26 EM9I
060937 - ..
060938 - On 220826 1522 Katrina Eagle called responding to the letter on
060939 - 220726. ref SDS 29 KB5N She submitted a letter with guidance on how to
060940 - submit notice of appeal to the VA Court of Appeals. ref SDS 30 ZP7M
060942 - ..
060943 - On 220922 0828 filed notice of appeal with Veterans Court of Appeals.
060944 - 220922 0828, ref SDS 32 KB5N
060946 - ..
060947 - On 230126 1022 called B&M talked to Yoon Park, who said the firm had
060948 - received claim documents from VA, ref SDS 55 8BDN Talked to Sarah
060949 - Burkey who said she will notify VA that B&M accepts the documents for
060950 - the purpose of filing an appeal. ref SDS 55 QF9G
060952 - ..
060953 - On 230623 0948 received principal brief from Sara at B&M appealing
060954 - disability compensation claim effective date to 091218. ref SDS 69
060955 - EQ4G
060957 - ..
060958 - On 230815 1527 letter from Sarah at B&M saying filing to increase
060959 - rating for medical disability compensation will not conflict with
060960 - litigation setting change compensation date to 091218. 230815 1527,
060961 - ref SDS 70 EQ4G
060962 -
060963 -
060964 -
060966 - ..
0610 -
0611 -
0612 - Progress
0613 -
061301 - Claim documents in this case were received from Nathan on 220830 1616.
061302 - ref SDS 31 FR9H
061304 - ..
061305 - See also letter on 220726 1017. ref SDS 26 ES52
061306 -
061308 - ..
061309 - Received letter from Sarah saying...
061310 -
061311 - 1. Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] Bergmann & Moore LLC - Follow-Up
061312 - Date: 2024-04-09, 15:08
061316 - ..
061317 - 2. Dear Mr. Welch,
061319 - ..
061320 - 3. As we discussed last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for
061321 - Veterans Claims (Court) issued its final decision in your case.
061322 - Unfortunately, the Judge chose to affirm the Board's decision
061323 - meaning that the Court did not find any errors with the Board's
061324 - denial of your earlier effective date claim.
061326 - ..
061327 - 4. During our conversation I explained that you have the option to
061328 - appeal your case to the Federal Circuit. However, after
061329 - discussing this option with other attorneys at the firm, we do
061330 - not see a basis for appeal and recommend that you file a
061331 - supplemental claim. Because your case is an Appeals
061332 - Modernization Act (AMA) appeal, you can continue to pursue your
061333 - claim at VA, perhaps even get it granted by VA, and appeal
061334 - again to the Court if necessary. We would therefore advise you
061335 - to:
061336 -
061337 - 1. File a supplemental claim for an earlier effective date for
061338 - service connection.
061340 - ..
061341 - 2. Submit a new statement, along with your supplemental claim,
061342 - explaining that you intended to apply for compensation in
061343 - 2009.
061344 -
061345 - [On 240826 0704 submitted proposed new statement for
061346 - Sarah's comments. ref SDS 85 R44K
061348 - ..
061349 - 3. Include with your submission a copy of the VBA Nehmer
061350 - Training Guide (attached here - though you should print it
061351 - out and send it in full - or at least print and send page
061352 - 21). On page 21, the training guide says that Nehmer is an
061353 - appropriate circumstance for VA to treat a claim for
061354 - pension as a claim for compensation.
061356 - ..
061357 - 4. Argue in your statement (you can copy and paste this in)
061358 - that: Nehmer would apply to your case because you are a
061359 - Vietnam Veteran, who applied for benefits for a covered
061360 - herbicide disease between May 3, 1989 and August 31, 2010,
061361 - the date of the regulation establishing a presumption of
061362 - service connection for ischemic heart disease; and was
061363 - later granted service connection for ischemic heart
061364 - disease. Thus, VA should find that, as you would qualify
061365 - under Nehmer, your pension claim should be treated as a
061366 - claim for compensation, pursuant to VA's Nehmer training
061367 - guide stating that Nehmer is an appropriate circumstance
061368 - for VA to treat a claim for pension as a claim for
061369 - compensation. The training guide isn't binding on the
061370 - Board, but it's something that may be helpful.
061372 - ..
061373 - 5. If you wish to pursue other arguments as part of your
061374 - supplemental claim you are free to do so. It is ultimately up
061375 - to your discretion. To that end, any new evidence you uncover
061376 - (including doctors' notes) can be submitted as part of this
061377 - claim.
061378 -
061379 - [On 240509 1948 letter to Sarah follows up on filing
061380 - another supplemental claim for Compensation. ref SDS 84
061381 - KZ6M
061383 - ..
061384 - 6. Please let me know if you have further questions or concerns.
061385 - However, please be aware that as your case is no longer pending
061386 - before CAVC, my ability to provide you with legal advise is
061387 - limited.
061389 - ..
061390 - 7. Best,
061391 - Sarah Burkey
061392 -
061394 - ..
061395 - 8. Attachments:
061396 - Welch, Rodney (22-6365) Court Decision 1.pdf
061397 - Welch, Rodney (22-6365) Court Decision 2.pdf
061398 - TL10-04E-Nehmer-Training-Guide.pdf
061399 - Welch Rodney (22-6365)-Motion for Reconsideration-Final.pdf
061400 -
061401 - F:\05\00003\MG\GPJF\FHED\Welch_Rodney_(22-6365)_Court_Decision_1.pdf
061402 -
061403 - F:\05\00003\MG\GPJF\FHED\Welch_Rodney_(22-6365)_Court_Decision_2.pdf
061405 - ..
061406 - F:\05\00003\MG\GPJF\FHED\TL10-04E-Nehmer-Training-Guide.pdf
061408 - ..
061409 - F:\05\00003\MG\GPJF\FHED\Welch_Rodney_(22-6365)-Motion_for_Reconsideration-Final.pdf
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