CRSC reconsideration help — rebuild a denied claim

A CRSC denial doesn’t always mean your condition wasn’t combat-related — very often it means the packet didn’t prove causation to the board’s standard. Reconsideration is not a do-over of the same file. It is a targeted rebuild: we read the specific reasoning in your denial letter, find what the original submission left unproven, and answer it directly with a rewritten causation narrative and the records that close the gap.

Why CRSC claims get denied

Most denials trace back to a handful of fixable patterns. Understanding why claims get denied is the first step in rebuilding one. The four we see most often:

• Insufficient causation narrative. The packet states a condition exists and is service-connected, but never walks the board through the unbroken chain — event, mechanism of injury, medical evidence, qualifying category. The board can only approve what the paper proves.
• Missing records. The line-of-duty determination, deployment or hazardous-duty orders, and contemporaneous treatment notes that anchor the event simply aren’t in the file. Without them, an otherwise valid claim reads as an assertion.
• Condition described but not connected. The injury is documented in detail, yet the narrative never ties it to a specific qualifying event. A well-documented condition floating free of a combat-related cause does not meet the standard.
• Wrong combat-related category claimed. The claim is filed under the wrong path — armed conflict, hazardous service, an instrumentality of war, or a condition simulating war — when the facts actually support a different one. If you were told you were CRSC denied, the category framing is one of the first things we re-examine.

What a reconsideration rebuilds

A reconsideration is built backward from your denial letter, not forward from a blank form. The work has four parts:

• Decision-letter analysis. We read exactly what the board said it could not verify, and we map every stated reason to the evidence that would answer it. The denial letter is the blueprint for the rebuild.
• Targeted new evidence. We identify and help you pull the specific records that close each gap — records requests, buddy statements from those who witnessed the event, and independent medical opinions where they are appropriate and the case supports them.
• A reconsideration letter to the board’s reasoning. Not a generic resubmission — a letter written point by point to the board’s specific denial language, showing how the new evidence and rewritten narrative resolve each objection.
• Deadline tracking. We track your reconsideration window so the rebuild lands on time, with the controlling dates pulled from your own letter.

Branch boards differ

Every branch adjudicates CRSC through its own board, and each one handles reconsideration a little differently. Your denial letter is always the controlling source — but here is the landscape:

Backpay context

What it costs

We charge a flat fee on purpose. Some companies take a percentage of your retroactive CRSC — thousands of dollars off the top of money you earned. You’ll always know our price up front, and it never scales with your backpay.

Honest expectations

Reconsideration is case-specific. Some denials respond well to a rebuilt narrative and well-targeted new evidence; others stand no matter how the file is rebuilt. Your branch’s CRSC board makes every final decision — we don’t, and we can’t promise a reversal, a rating, or a backpay amount. Nobody honestly can, and you should walk away from anyone who does. What we will do is read your denial letter straight, tell you whether a reconsideration is worth your money, and build the strongest documented case your records support.

Reconsideration FAQ

How long do I have to request CRSC reconsideration?

Generally about one year from the date of your decision letter to request reconsideration with new evidence — but the exact window varies by branch. Your decision letter and your branch’s current instructions control, so check those first.

Does a denial mean my condition isn’t combat-related?

Not necessarily. Many denials come down to a packet that didn’t document the causation link, not a condition that fails to qualify. That said, not every denial is reversible — some stand even after a rebuilt narrative and new evidence, and we’ll tell you honestly which side of that line we think your case is on.

Can you guarantee you’ll overturn my denial?

No. Your branch’s CRSC board makes every final decision. No one can promise a reversal, a rating, or a backpay amount — be cautious of anyone who does.