Another policy through which VA compensation claims can be successfully argued without providing medical evidence of nexus is “continuity of symptomatology.” This policy refers to situations in which a chronic condition most likely manifested during service but was not specifically diagnosed during that time.
The key in proving that continuity of symptomatology applies to your case lies in the description of your symptoms. Although your current disability need not have been diagnosed during your period of military service, you will be required to show evidence that symptoms similar to your current ones were present and “noted” during service.
The U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that favorable claims using continuity of symptomatology and the direct service connection do not require additional proof of a nexus of evidence. Though this ruling sounds clear cut, it’s actually a little misleading. Most cases actually do require a medical opinion linking the current disability with the symptoms present during service except in a few rare cases where lay evidence is enough to prove that the condition exists. Hiring an experienced VA disability attorney can be a huge help in putting together a case like this.
¿Qué se requiere para demostrar la continuidad de la sintomatología en las solicitudes de indemnización del Departamento de Asuntos de Veteranos (VA)?
To successfully prove that your case can be determined using continuity of symptomatology, you and your lawyer will need to provide the following three types of evidence:
- Prueba de que los síntomas de la discapacidad actual se «observaron» durante el período de servicio
- Prueba de que esos mismos síntomas persistieron una vez finalizado el período de servicio
- Documentación médica (o, en algunos casos excepcionales, pruebas no médicas) que demuestre que existe una relación entre los síntomas posteriores al servicio y la discapacidad actual
Veterans and their advocates should make sure not to rely merely on the evidence of continuous symptoms as proof – the third element of evidence, the establishment of a link by a medical authority, is crucial to successfully arguing VA compensation claims using continuity of symptomatology.
For more information on VA claims visit our disability denials website and be sure to download a copy of our free e-book!