Physical Disability Board of Review Update

JUST A HINT ON BACK PAY !!!!!

I got my first retired pay check on 1 JUNE 2010. I called and wrote letters to DFAS, but to no avail.

No one could tell me anything about back pay. Finally on 7 AUG 10 after repeated calls and letters and absolutely no response on the back pay issue from DFAS, I wrote my congressman (Congressman Posey - Florida.)

Well they must have one awesome constituent service guy. He contacted DFAS on a Monday, and by that Friday my back pay check hit my account.

Lesson: Give DFAS about 30 to 60 days. But if they are not communicating with you, or you do not have a high confidence factor in their answers. Write your congressman.

I am of the opinion that they are either so backlogged, or lazy, or some combination of both. That Congressionals get handled first, and everything else gets pushed off. So in this case seems the squeaky retiree gets the grease.

So now I am officially done as of 15 August 10. Blue ID Card, retired pay, back pay.
 
Congrats!!!

My letter to the VARO in Roanoke went out last week and another went out today to Senator Jim Webb-VA. I hope i can sort this out soon.

Congrats again!
 
Thanks and once again congrats! Does anyone have a contact number for the Joint Adjucation Unit in DC? My package was recieved there 26 feb 10. Any info would be outstanding thanks.

unfortunately there isn't one. the only way to find out is via the randolph intake unit. I work down the road from them.
 
I got good news today. I received the letter from DA stating I will receive permanet disability retirement at 40%. It will take a few months before it kicks in.
 
Dear Jason,

My name is Adam and I was seperated in March of 2009 from the Army. The PEB gave me 10% and said all my conditions met retention standards besides 1. Now all my conditions have worsened and I can barely walk. I have sent out a request form for the PDBR for a review of my 10% disability rating from the Army to be increased per request from the VA. I do have a file number from about 6months ago and I have not heard anything else since then. Do you know how long this usually takes or anything that I can do to speed the process up. I am 90% disabled from the VA. Can you help me with any info. I am very scared of the PDBR's decision even though I have not seen it yet. lol
 
Adam,

It is taking more than a year (sometimes several months longer) to get a decision from the PDBR from what I have seen recently. Not anything that can really be done to speed up the process at this point.

If you get a bad decision from the PDBR, you can still file suit in Court of Federal Claims. Hopefully, you get a good outcome and this is not necessary, but realize that a bad decision is not necessarily the end of the story for your case.

Best of luck!
 
Received 50% Retirement From PDBR!!

All,

After three and a half years I have finally received relief from the PDBR by way of the Sabo PTSD Lawsuit!!! The date of my letter is December 27, 2010 and the PDBR has ruled that I am due a 50% disability retirement. I just opened the letter because sometimes I do not get around to picking up my mail for a week or so. It's been a long hard road of waiting and filing paperwork but the system finally worked for me. The question I have for any of you who have gone through the process is what should I do come Monday morning? Should I call about my pay, ID card, and Tricare benefits? Should I just wait it out awhile? What have any of you found that is the best course of action?

Kevin
 
Received 50% Retirement From PDBR!!

Kevin,
Congrats on getting your relief from the PDBR! I too, have filed in this lawsuit and I have not heard anything since July 2010. I had opted-in this lawsuit early on and still waiting. I received this following information by email on January 4, 2011:
"Regarding a status update: At the most recent status conference before the Judge, we were disappointed to learn from the Government that the review boards are having difficulty meeting the nine month turn around they expected to need to reach a decision. In response to this information, we are filing a motion with the Court of Federal Claims asking the Judge to remove the decision making power from the Boards and requesting the Judge make a decision on behalf of all the claimants. We will file this motion in the next couple of weeks. We will be sending an official notice to all class members about the motion and how this affects the class. While this motion is pending, the boards will continue to process and decide claims."
Here is some questions: 1.How long did it take for you, once you opted in this lawsuit?
2. Have you or anyone else heard about the above status update?
I agree with you -that this has been a long and hardroad!!!!! We fight for our Country, we shouldn't have to come home and fight the land we defended for what is rightfully ours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU,
Shelley
 
Received 50% Retirement From PDBR!!

The transcript of the status conference is not scheduled to be released until April. Next month, the conference transcript from November's conference is scheduled to be released to the public. I will post any updates I come across.
 
Received 50% Retirement From PDBR!!

The transcript of the status conference is not scheduled to be released until April. Next month, the conference transcript from November's conference is scheduled to be released to the public. I will post any updates I come across.

Jason,

Thanks for the update

kevin
 
Received 50% Retirement From PDBR!!

Kevin,
Congrats on getting your relief from the PDBR! I too, have filed in this lawsuit and I have not heard anything since July 2010. I had opted-in this lawsuit early on and still waiting. I received this following information by email on January 4, 2011:
"Regarding a status update: At the most recent status conference before the Judge, we were disappointed to learn from the Government that the review boards are having difficulty meeting the nine month turn around they expected to need to reach a decision. In response to this information, we are filing a motion with the Court of Federal Claims asking the Judge to remove the decision making power from the Boards and requesting the Judge make a decision on behalf of all the claimants. We will file this motion in the next couple of weeks. We will be sending an official notice to all class members about the motion and how this affects the class. While this motion is pending, the boards will continue to process and decide claims."
Here is some questions: 1.How long did it take for you, once you opted in this lawsuit?
2. Have you or anyone else heard about the above status update?
I agree with you -that this has been a long and hardroad!!!!! We fight for our Country, we shouldn't have to come home and fight the land we defended for what is rightfully ours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU,
Shelley

Shelley,

I had not heard about this update and it's surprising because I have kept my contact information up to date with NVLSP. Can you forward me that email? I don't know what the judge would decide if it was put in his hands but I suspect he would probably make them go with the VA ratings (just a guess). My email is: [email protected] . I am going to put in a call to the NLVSP right now and find out what the deal is. Again, please forward me that email if you would, thanks for the heads up!!!


Kevin
 
Received 50% Retirement From PDBR!!

Kevin,
You are welcome. I will be contacting them as well in the next few days, as well as getting in touch with Texas. If you find out anything, please let me know and if I find out anything, I will let you know.

Thanks,
Shelley
 
My case was finalized in december 2010, january 2011 I compleated the paperwork for retirement services and I havent seen nothing yet. No word, no pay, no blue ID card and nobody seems to know anything.
 
I am so tired of waiting! My case is not even finalized but I have been waiting for going on 2 years.

I remember when the original bill came out from congress creating the PDBR, it said that the whole process was supposed to be completed in six months.

This is BS. Our government just spent over $600million bombing Libya but they cant even deal with their mistakes in a timely fashion, this is crazy!
 
I am not sure where I stand in all of this....I have tried to keep up with what has been going on but I am a little bit skeptical....I was medically discharged with a 0% rating and then later a 70% rating from the VA....I had two ACL replacements on my left knee (0% from both the army and VA). SLAP Tear right shoulder (0% Army and VA), Insomnia (but rated as sleep apnea with C-pap 50% VA army nothing), Major Depression at 30% VA army nothing...various other service connected issues but with 0%....The main focus in my MEB was my knee which was found unfitting but rated at 0%...I never paid much attention to it all because it just drug on for so long I took the first train smokin...I was looking at my paper work the other day and noticed that my MEB paperwork described my knee as a (knee sprain)...Two Comlete ACL replacements and no miniscus the only thing left for me is a complete knee replacement but I am too young....what I can find is that the terminoloy is (sprain) but my knee was a GRADE 3 knee sparin X two....do you think it is worth trying to go from 0% to 30% from the Army.....the VA even rated it at 0%....I am constantly in pain...went to pain management while on active duty but refused drugs and spinal block...just livin with it...My back went out on me about a year or so from discharge and I never new my back was so messed up...two pinched nerves, 1 herniated disk and 1 almost completely gone....I had no injuries from the time I was discharged actually until now....do you think I can get my back service connected...I never saw anybody for back pain but I did tell them durring my final physical that I was having pain in my arms and back...they did nothing about it....sorry I know I am rambling but I just dont know where to start
 
Apply to the PDBR and request they look at all disabilities of your MEB/PEB for proper fitness determinations and ratings.

Mike
 
I am not sure where I stand in all of this....I have tried to keep up with what has been going on but I am a little bit skeptical....I was medically discharged with a 0% rating and then later a 70% rating from the VA....I had two ACL replacements on my left knee (0% from both the army and VA). SLAP Tear right shoulder (0% Army and VA), Insomnia (but rated as sleep apnea with C-pap 50% VA army nothing), Major Depression at 30% VA army nothing...various other service connected issues but with 0%....The main focus in my MEB was my knee which was found unfitting but rated at 0%...I never paid much attention to it all because it just drug on for so long I took the first train smokin...I was looking at my paper work the other day and noticed that my MEB paperwork described my knee as a (knee sprain)...Two Comlete ACL replacements and no miniscus the only thing left for me is a complete knee replacement but I am too young....what I can find is that the terminoloy is (sprain) but my knee was a GRADE 3 knee sparin X two....do you think it is worth trying to go from 0% to 30% from the Army.....the VA even rated it at 0%....I am constantly in pain...went to pain management while on active duty but refused drugs and spinal block...just livin with it...My back went out on me about a year or so from discharge and I never new my back was so messed up...two pinched nerves, 1 herniated disk and 1 almost completely gone....I had no injuries from the time I was discharged actually until now....do you think I can get my back service connected...I never saw anybody for back pain but I did tell them durring my final physical that I was having pain in my arms and back...they did nothing about it....sorry I know I am rambling but I just dont know where to start

When were you discharged?
 
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