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Imo Questions

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USMC_VET

Question

I feel kind of weird to just contact a doctor and say examine me and fill this out....

Do i got in for a exam and then contact them after with the DBQ?

In the DBQ it says things like have you reviewed the Veterans file, what do i bring to them? For the podiatrist I was going to bring my initial entrance exam to show no indication of flat feet and neurologist i was going to bring headache diary as well as as evidence from my file of my exposure to explosions as well as PTSD info.

Also Do i just hand them a paper from earlier posts noting that the VA wants to hear words like "more likely than not" etc?

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USMC_VET,

Unless you have a long standing relationship with the doctors you ask to complete a DBQ or IMO, they may be reluctant to help you. Hopefully, they will help you. However, there are doctors out there who are familiar with the VA system and know how to properly prepare an IMO meeting VA requirements. You just have to do a little research and find them. Others on this website may have suggestions on the doctors.

Personally, I think you should get an IMO because it is much stronger than a DBQ when trying to show a nexus between your claimed medical conditions and your military service. The doctor preparing your IMO should be a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of your claimed conditions. A copy of the doctor's curriculum vitae should be included with the IMO. The doctor must include reasonable medical rationale to support their opinion in the IMO. I think there are samples of IMOs on the Hadit website. Provide your doctor(s) with the sample IMO along with all of your relevant medical records (military, VA and civilian). JMO

Good luck to you.

Semper Fil

GP

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We have the full IMO criteria here...I will bump it up. I developed that criteria from 2 IMos I had from Dr. Bash for my AO DMII death claim.

DMII was one of the misdiagnosed conditions I didnt know about when I filed FTCA.// 1151 and had to shape that claim very carefully.

The VA has never has a situation like it before. They had to refund my FTCA offset., which only occurred when I contacted the GC who handled the settlement.

Direct SC death trumps FTCA wrongful death.

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Here it is

I also had a brief email opinion from a former VA neuro. He had treated my husband and the med recs revealed he was only doc in Syracuse VAMC who knew what he was doing.

Dr. BAsh called him ( It took me many months to even find him, he had left VA for private practice) and asked him to put the email statement on his Neuro letterhead and Dr Bash subm,itted that with his IMos.

My point is that a coobortating medical statement is worth it's weight in gold as the BVA gave this brief 2 sentence IMO as much weight as the 2 from Dr Bash.and awarded.

This was the case I jmentioned today that my VARO refused to read the evidence for....

I had so much evidence prior to contacting Dr. BAsh that he immediately told me I had a good case.

I had to be careful.One cannot file for death under 1151, twice for the same death, as far as I know so I had to shape the claim differently from 1151 I had won already.

Then again, I am preparing a new claim, and will file when they resolve my current issues.

They awarded DIC and retro under AO IHD in 2012.

Direct SC death and accrued.

I never filed for IHD under 1151 and should have. There are no time limits for 1151 claims.

Or ,if they do my current claim right maybe I will just let it go......direct SC and 1151 are 2 distinct and separate issues.

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Berta:

So obviously, you would propably recommend Dr Bash based upoon your own experience--I would guess? I know others whom have had similar postive experiences as well with him. I know that in terms of costs, he tends to be at the upper levels but I would hope that that mirrors his sucess rate as well.? Ayway, As I await my claims outcome, I've been doing some reserach on Attorneys and their expenses. At first, I was told that VA Cases or claims required tha tthe attorneys got a flat 20% But, I've read that the Attorney Mr Attig charges 30% plus expenses..so I imagine that there could be a wide disparity of cases interms of the charges that are required to prosocute a claim or case. I fully understand that "you get what you pay for"...so good attorney's that understand the VA. Although, I don't have my fianl outcome, I do have a complex case none-the-less and want to find the best attorney that I can -when I need one. The other question, I guess is that most folks need to work from the lowest levels up to get their claims. I k now that I will eventually need at least one or two IMO's in the future...and would lke to afford Dr Bash..if possible...any thoughts on hiring him?

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He was perfect for the type of claim I had.,due to his Neuro Radiology background.

He was familiar with X rays, autopsies, and MRIs and is a former VA doctor, and could state with proof, in the IMOs he did for me. that he had read thousand's of MRIs from diabetics, to support the premise of my claim,.with a full medical rationale.

I did extensive medical legwork on the medical records before I contacted him and paid his fee.

The VA had never diagnosed or treated the DMII and the result was that they Sced it to AO and stated it had contributed to my husband's death.

I won FTCA wrongful death case without an IMO or a lawyer in 1997, but when my RO refused at first to even reopen my DMII claim, I knew I would have problems on this claim without an IMO.

I recommend Dr Bash for claims that rest on his medical background.He certainly can help with many types of other claims as well.

But it is evidence that makes a claim succeed. Some of his wins are at his web site.

he is very user friendly and his contact info is here at hadit.

He does not succeed in every claim he handles and often , in BVA decisions, that is because the veteran does not have the evidence they need ,and most often evidence for a service nexus.

Dr. Bash served in the USAF but I dont think he ever was able to make a buddy statement for a vet, by giving an eye witness account of an injury or stressor.

Chris Attig is a member here. maybe he could give you a guessimate of a fee when you get your decision ,if you need a lawyer then.

Sometimes vets think an IMO can help support an inservice injury or stressor.....but that rests on their SMRs and/or other factors..

A diabetic vet I helped years ago ( non AO vet) got the nexus he needed via an IMO from his private endocrinologist. but that was after almost 10 years, 3-4 BVA cases, and 2 CAVC cases occurred.

His lawyers had never looked up one word in the first paragraph of the BVA decision.

I looked it up in a medical text , poured over his handwritten SMRs (which took lots of time)

and Bingo, I knew I could help him win. I also prepared a argument to support and appeal that his lawyers should not get the fee the VA had stated they would get.

I had evidence of everything they didnt do for him .

I guess he made out OK with that.and got the retro plus the amount that VA withheld for their 'fee' I havent heard from him since.

Edited by Berta
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Berta:

Great...that's what I was looking for. The good news is that I have strong SMR evidence across the board and lots of it, but am always concerned about VA and VBA "Curveballs" that come in many shapes and sizes? Also, I'm very impatient which is my greatest personal weakness with regard to these claims. I work very hard to be proactive and to learn the rules but sometimes you need an SME. I learned this week that my claim was supposedly finshed according the 1800 # rep but at the last minute and they decided to add two more exams. The 1800 rep acutally read the notes to me 'verbatim", and the 2 DBQ's expired within 2 weeks of the final decision...so I have to do them again? For me, I think it's a plus because the CP Nurse that did them originally was very curse and asked me if I took my Blood Pressure Medication or not? Anyway, I'm very religious when it comes to taking any/all of my meds and was really offended by her comment? Instinctivley and without thinking, I shot back, "why would I risk a stroke or heart attack? I have a close friend who died of a Cerebral Hemorage who had HBP problems and the HBP scares me. Frankly I had never been treated like this before at any exam and by any medical person. Overall, I have a chart with 23 years of smr -- BP readings which tell the story anyway. Blood pressure was normal until I was in Camp Doha, Kuwait and got very sick and was hospitalised. About a month later, a letter was posted by the Camp Commander that said, that there was a "gross contamination" of Ecoli that was discovered in the camp water system? But most of us had already been exposed to this and other hazards for almost a year since the last potable water system check? I acutually kept a copy of that letter which was signed by the camp commander and put it im my disability claim package. But during my the Gulf War Exam, I had 3 of 6 Confirmed GW diagosis and a 4th one that was clear but the doc did not give me service connection---he said it was "less likely" connected? Anyway, It was pretty clear from the start that he did not personnaly believe in GW Issues? The scheduled 4 hours exam lasted 20 minutes or so...whihc was a joke. The Irony to this is that I received a call from DC and the Burn Pit Folks that I'm being added to the registry manually after they reviewed my files. Unfortunately, I learned that I have 3 growths about the size of large marbles on both my kidneys. I told him that but it was not put in the records? Also, the records (MRI's and CTs) that I gave him are now missing as well? Probably just lost or sitting on someone's desk at the CBOC? Anyway, who knows, maybe I'll come out Okay on the claim... but...it's good to know who the "smartest guys in the room are" just in case you need them...Also on another note...thanks so much for all of your posts on Hadit.com and your helpful knowledge is really remarkable....and alway appreciated..

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