La Ro And Dr. Bash

[hurryupnwait]

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

[carlie]

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.

hurry,

What issue was the grant of SC for that related to Dr Bash's IME ?

Exactly what - in the IME, has the DRO challenged ?

Do you know the reason Carpenter doesn't want Bash to reply to the VA's request for clarification ?

I ask because I remember specifically, that in two DRO (local level) decisions of mine, the DRO stated that

they had request clarification from Dr. D.L. (my VAMC - PCP) and no response had been received.

That was the bases the DRO used to continue supporting their denial on.

It took me submitting date stamped copies of the two clarification letters

(that Dr. D.L. had already written and submitted to the local VARO) to the ALJ at my BVA hearings, to actually

get this medical evidence in the official record, for consideration on some issues.

BVA granted these issues and my effective dates retro'd back to 1999.

JMHO

[hurryupnwait]

hurry,

What issue was the grant of SC for that related to Dr Bash's IME ?

Exactly what - in the IME, has the DRO challenged ?

Do you know the reason Carpenter doesn't want Bash to reply to the VA's request for clarification ?

I ask because I remember specifically, that in two DRO (local level) decisions of mine, the DRO stated that

they had request clarification from Dr. D.L. (my VAMC - PCP) and no response had been received.

That was the bases the DRO used to continue supporting their denial on.

It took me submitting date stamped copies of the two clarification letters

(that Dr. D.L. had already written and submitted to the local VARO) to the ALJ at my BVA hearings, to actually

get this medical evidence in the official record, for consideration on some issues.

BVA granted these issues and my effective dates retro'd back to 1999.

JMHO

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.

[Pete53]

Dr Bash does not need to be coached by a Veteran. He knows what is needed and he is a professional unlike many at VA

[hurryupnwait]

Dr Bash does not need to be coached by a Veteran. He knows what is needed and he is a professional unlike many at VA

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.