Buddy Statements: The Key to Winning VA Claims

Discover the power of buddy statements in this informative video! Join Dale Davidson, the VA guy, as he explains the importance of these unique statements and how they can make a difference in your case. Learn about a client who developed asthma due to exposure to CARC and find out how buddy statements played a crucial role in his journey. Don't miss out - subscribe now for more valuable insights from Dale!
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[@zackiinu7194]

Hi. I just finished watching your videos on Buddy Statements and Toxic Exposures. I was very happy to finally find a video in which someone (you) represented a client who had been exposed to Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC).
I apologize for the following lengthy comment, but you might find some interesting information within, in case you ever have another appeal on a CARC case. Who knows, it might be me!
From 1980 to 1983, I was a mechanic (63T) in the Army. I mostly worked on Jeeps, 2½- and 5-ton trucks, and Armor Personnel Carriers.
While stationed in Germany in 1982, I was ordered to spray paint all of the vehicles in my battalion with CARC. The painting occurred in some of the bays of the motor pool, which had no mechanical ventilation or exhaust system.
I was not provided with any safety information about the potential hazards of spray painting with CARC. I was not warned about spray painting in “confined spaces” and about inhaling the fumes of the VOCs as the paint dried. I was not provided with any Personal Protective Equipment, such as respirators, gloves, goggles, etc. Consequently, the aerosolized paint entered my nostrils and stuck to my eyelashes, eyebrows, hair, and skin.
I used solvents to remove the paint that would not wash off from my skin. Throughout my shifts of painting, I would blow my nose into paper towels and see paint in the towels.
Last year I had some medical examinations from my private physicians. Among some of the things they found, which I believe to be related to my direct exposure to CARC, were 2 lung nodules, bibasilar atelectasis (collapsed lower lungs), COPD, severe sleep apnea, nasal polyps, allergic conjunctivitis, and multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome. (I am very sensitive to isocyanates, which is among the harmful ingredients in CARC.)
Upon finding out about my medical condition, I sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the Army Research Laboratory (ARL). I asked the ARL to provide me with information about the paint I used in 1982. They responded with a very informative letter, and they also sent me a complete copy of the Military Specifications document of the version of CARC I used, which is MIL-C-46168. (Happy to share, if interested.)
The ARL also has a video on RUclips about how they knew and allowed HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM to be placed in CARC because of its properties as “an excellent rust inhibiter” and how it is “known to cause lung cancer.” Incredible! (See ruclips.net/video/jGxFAELURz4/видео.html)
While I do not know the year in which your client was exposed to CARC, it is important to know that there are several versions of CARC. Basically, there are solvent-based versions, which I used, and water dispersal versions (WD-CARC), which was used during the Gulf War era.
The most significant difference of the ingredients I found between the two types of CARCs, is that the solvent-based versions contain lead and HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM, which is known to cause cancer, while the WD-CARC versions do not. However, both types of CARC are harmful.
I plan to submit my original claim for VA disability in 2024. Given the fact that it has been 40 years since my exposure and discharge, and because there is nothing in my military medical records regarding CARC-related complaints of injuries, I suspect that the VA will be denying my claim. When that happens, I hope to find a medical expert who can make the link between my in-service toxic exposure event and my current medical condition. (I already have a couple of Buddy Statements documenting the painting event, so I’ll just need to work on the medical nexus.)
P.S. I have never heard anyone talk about the 1,400 Dutch workers who experienced toxic exposure to CARC in the 1980s and 1990s. These workers spray painted U.S. and other NATO vehicles with CARC. Their latent injuries were reported sometime around 2005. (See www.dw.com/en/dutch-military-staff-awaits-compensation-in-toxic-paint-case/a-18250624#:~:text=Roughly%201%2C400%20military%20employees%20in,in%20the%201980s%20and%2090s.). There is also a medical investigative report on PubMed regarding this incident. The report is bifurcated addressing cancerous injures and non-cancerous injuries. It’s an interesting read. Let me know if you can’t find it but want it. I’ll post the link. (I just don’t have it at hand right now.). In July of this year I sent a brief email to one of the investigative report writers in the Netherlands. I was hoping she would respond because I had a few questions, but she never responded.
Thank you for your videos and for reading my story!