hurryupnwait

Got a call today from my attorney's office, it appears that the VA has increased my compensation from 10% to 20% without any exams just by reviewing my medical records. It's retro active to 9/2003. This is a victory in a small battle but I m going on to win the war. The rater that rated my claim in 2008 overlooked that I had a diagnosis of scoliosis in 9/2003 and therefore my rating should have been 20% not 10%. I ll get excited when I see the money in the bank. According to the VA Coach, I will be scheduled for several more C&P exams in the very near future. After reading the rating formula for diseases and injuries of the Spine, scoliosis appears to be rated at 20%, a change that occurred in 2003. Happy Trails Paul

I also understand that even volunteer work could be scrutinized by the VA as be able to work and may jeopardize your IU benefits.

It is for an increase for the lumbar spine with several secondary issues and IU

I noticed that Rentalguy was last on the site about two weeks ago. Is there anyone here who can contact him and tell him there is a PM here from me or maybe give me his email address so I can contact him directly. He was a wealth of information on my spine claim. Thanks Paul

Seems like November has been a good month for me getting my claim moving again. Seems like the VA is asleep the rest of the months, in my claim at least. Any comments

I think I have been given a choice to go to A QTC medical center in Lancaster, CA or the VA medical facility in Sepulveda, CA for a lumbar spine C & P exam. Lancaster is about 30 minutes closer. Anyone have experience with QTC? Thanks Paul

where can I find Rentalguy's spine claim repository? Thanks Paul

Wow, so cool, time to be dancing down the hallways.

Nope

Have ya ll seen this. Could be a trigger. link

Yes Pete I agree, Dr. Bash is a professional and knows what is needed. My claim has a potential retro back to 1973, so I think the LARO has decided to try to discredit Dr. Bash's IME and try to sever my service connection that way they do not have to pay any retro. The DRO doing this has since retired. Presently, I think the tactic is to mothball the claim. Hopefully, Mr. Carpenter can get it moving thru the system again by requesting help from his contacts in Washington DC.

Back issue The clarification letter makes it sound as though I coached Dr. Bash into what to write. If I were Dr. Bash and read the letter I would have been quite angry. He suggest that the Dr. did not do a very thorough exam and did not address some items. Without a doubt it was trying to discredit the IME and Dr. Bash. Mr. Carpenter thinks that the clarification letters were very inappropiate and had nothing to do with the rate increases that were asked for.

The LA RO is extremely slow. The DRO and my attorney, Ken Carpenter, had their hearing two years ago (10/09/2009) and I still have not had a C&P exam. Last week, my attorney was ready to file a writ of mandamus, but then he was in Washington DC recently and met some people who worked in the VA Central office, and they told him that maybe they could help him get claims moving faster at the LARO. Ken Carpenter, plans to ask for their help with my claim being first. My claim has been at this RO's DRO level for over three years now with very little being done. The original DRO working the claim challenged many items in the IME that Dr. Bash did on me in Washington DC. I flew to Washington DC and picked up a copy of my C file from AMC that I had ordered 10 months earlier and took it to Dr. Bash, so that he would have my complete C file. He did a physical exam of me. I did receive a grant of service connection prolly because of the weight of Dr. Bash's IME, but the exam letter was full of typographic errors and I believe this is why this DRO has focused on challenging it. He sent two clarification letters to Dr. Bash that appeared to try to discredit his IME and possibly remove my service connection. My attorney sent a letter to Dr. Bash asking him to not reply to the clarification letters. I have a great deal of respect for DR. Bash, but on the other hand, his IME was full of typo's and misplaced words. The DRO mentioned above retired in December 2010, since then my claim has been collecting dust. This has been a long haul for me and my family

This RO is extremely slow. The DRO and my attorney had their hearing two years ago yesterday and I still have not had a C&P exam. The attorney was ready to file a writ of mandamus, but then he was in Washington DC recently and met some people who worked in the VA Central office, and they told him that maybe they could help get claims moving faster at the LARO. My attorney, Ken Carpenter, plans to ask for their help with my claim first. My claim has been at this RO's DRO level for over three years now with very little being done. The original DRO working the claim challenged many items in the IME that Dr. Bash did on me in Washington DC. I picked up a copy of my C file from AMC that I had ordered 10 months earlier and took it to Dr. Bash, so that he would have my complete C file. I did receive a grant of service connection prolly because of the weight of Dr. Bash's IME, but the exam letter was full of typographic errors and I believe this is why this DRO has focused on challenging it. That DRO retired in December 2010, since then my claim has been collecting dust.

Is the Sawtelle VA Hospital now called the West Los Angeles VA Hospital?

My claim is at the Los Angeles Regional Office. My attorney and the DRO had their hearing on October 9th, 2009, almost 22 months ago. 2 months ago my attorney sent a letter to the Service Manager with no response. Today my attorney's office called and said that they have sent a letter to the regional director, he has 30 days to respond, if not, then they plan to send a letter to The Honorable Eric Shenseki, Secretary of the VA. The Court has asked them to follow the above steps before filing a writ of mandamus. Happy Trails

Mine has been 3 years at the DRO level. I wish I had gone to the BVA instead of the DRO route, at least the people at the BVA read the file. Paul

It's been 2 years and 7 months since my attorney, Kenn Carpenter, had a DRO hearing with no decision and no c&p in sight. The original hearing DRO retired in December, a new DRO has the claim as of last month. This is maddening! Attorney is reviewing my case tomorrow. Writ of mandamus is what I want but he is saying that to write one involves a lot of work.

Two years and six months since DRO hearing and still waiting and I have an attorney.

This May help my claim also, where the VA never sent me a statement of the case after a C&P exam in 1973. Many Thanks Paul

Ditto for me

DRO appeal with LARO, two years this month, gathering dust.

Thanks Cooter I googled Ardvark tele 414-488-7923 and found this list. researchers

Well, I found the site that lists researchers for hire. researchers. Thanks Paul

I remember seeing many BVA cases where in the remand the Board requested the service department records be requested from NPRC, what are they again? Paul