Source: https://www.pebforum.com/threads/va-appeals.4292/
Timestamp: 2019-06-27 12:17:45
Document Index: 87561042

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§19', '§ 19']

VA Appeals | Physical Evaluation Board Forum
This thread will cover some of the basic issues in VA Appeals process. It is not the purpose to cover every conceivable situation, but instead will focus on the most common situations.
As far as references, you can find most of the substantive regulations at 38 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 20: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations:
What constitutes an appeal? We have a rule that tells us that, under 38 CFR § 20.200 , Rule 200. "An appeal consists of a timely filed Notice of Disagreement in writing and, after a Statement of the Case has been furnished, a timely filed Substantive Appeal."
So, the first step in an appeal is to file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD). What is a NOD?
38 CFR § 20.201 "Rule 201. Notice of Disagreement.
A written communication from a claimant or his or her representative expressing dissatisfaction or disagreement with an adjudicative determination by the agency of original jurisdiction and a desire to contest the result will constitute a Notice of Disagreement. While special wording is not required, the Notice of Disagreement must be in terms which can be reasonably construed as disagreement with that determination and a desire for appellate review. If the agency of original jurisdiction gave notice that adjudicative determinations were made on several issues at the same time, the specific determinations with which the claimant disagrees must be identified. For example, if service connection was denied for two disabilities and the claimant wishes to appeal the denial of service connection with respect to only one of the disabilities, the Notice of Disagreement must make that clear."
Notice the reference to "agency of original jurisdiction." In most cases, this is the Regional Office (RO). That is where you must file the NOD.
Here is the regulation on the time limits for filing the NOD and the Substantive Appeal. § 20.302 "Rule 302. Time limit for filing Notice of Disagreement, Substantive Appeal, and response to Supplemental Statement of the Case.
(b) Substantive Appeal —(1) General. Except in the case of simultaneously contested claims, a Substantive Appeal must be filed within 60 days from the date that the agency of original jurisdiction mails the Statement of the Case to the appellant, or within the remainder of the 1-year period from the date of mailing of the notification of the determination being appealed, whichever period ends later. The date of mailing of the Statement of the Case will be presumed to be the same as the date of the Statement of the Case and the date of mailing the letter of notification of the determination will be presumed to be the same as the date of that letter for purposes of determining whether an appeal has been timely filed.
(2) Special rule in certain cases where additional evidence is submitted. Except in the case of simultaneously contested claims, if (i) a claimant submits additional evidence within 1 year of the date of mailing of the notification of the determination being appealed, and (ii) that evidence requires, in accordance with §19.31 of this title, that the claimant be furnished a Supplemental Statement of the Case, then the time to submit a Substantive Appeal shall end not sooner than 60 days after such Supplemental Statement of the Case is mailed to the appellant, even if the 60-day period extends beyond the expiration of the 1-year appeal period."
After the NOD is filed (and after a Decision Review Officer, or "DRO" hearing, if requested) the RO will issue a Statement of the Case (SOC). This requirement is outlined in 38 CFR § 19.29 "Statement of the Case.
(c) The determination of the agency of original jurisdiction on each issue and the reasons for each such determination with respect to which disagreement has been expressed."
As a final step to filing the appeal, after the SOC has been issued, the Veteran must then perfect the appeal by filing a VA Form 9 (or a writing that communicates the same information).