Applying for Adaptive Equipment & Vehicle

[Retiredsoldier1]

Does VA do a C & P exam of the upper back and lower back using outside examiners at a private office when applying for adaptive equipment and vehicle. Can someone tell me if the DBQ questions on the VA site are the ones they use

[toddt]

I am unable to find anything for the upper or lower back having to do with adaptive equipment:     https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/special-claims/automobile-allowance-adaptive-equipment/

I did get my brother-in-law a grant for a vehicle due to his being legally blind from a gsw.  He had been certified disabled for many years and did not have to have a c&p exam.

[Richard1954]

4 hours ago, Retiredsoldier1 said:

Does VA do a C & P exam of the upper back and lower back using outside examiners at a private office when applying for adaptive equipment and vehicle. Can someone tell me if the DBQ questions on the VA site are the ones they use

 

I can tell you that disability on the upper and lower back will not qualify you for the auto adaptive equipment or a vehicle grant .  Does the va do C/P exams for the auto grant, and adaptive equipment ?  Most of the time these are ancillary benefits, that are granted based on an actual disability award for one of the conditions that would qualify a veteran for the grant and adaptive equipment.  In my case, I had no addition C/P exam   the benefits were granted upon my rating for loss of use of my left foot.  Normally a separate C/P exam isn't done for the reason I explained above. If a C/P exam is required, the VA could send it to a contractor or keep it in house. Yes contractors use the same DBQ as the VA.

You should read the attached information sheet concerning these benefits, and the attached handbook that  explains eligibility of  the benefits, before you spend time trying to get a grant that based on what your asking you will not qualify for. 

Auto and adaptive equipment infor sheet..pdf Handbook 1173.4 Automobile Adaptive Equipment Program.pdf

Edited October 12, 2019 by Richard1954
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[Retiredsoldier1]

Thank you for answering. The reason I asked the question about adaptive equipment because I put in a claim for this and received a letter saying a C&P exam is scheduled for Neuropathy for right lower extremity, left upper extremity, left lower extremity by QTC. That’s why I asked those questions 

[Retiredsoldier1]

20 hours ago, Richard1954 said:

 

I can tell you that disability on the upper and lower back will not qualify you for the auto adaptive equipment or a vehicle grant .  Does the va do C/P exams for the auto grant, and adaptive equipment ?  Most of the time these are ancillary benefits, that are granted based on an actual disability award for one of the conditions that would qualify a veteran for the grant and adaptive equipment.  In my case, I had no addition C/P exam   the benefits were granted upon my rating for loss of use of my left foot.  Normally a separate C/P exam isn't done for the reason I explained above. If a C/P exam is required, the VA could send it to a contractor or keep it in house. Yes contractors use the same DBQ as the VA.

You should read the attached information sheet concerning these benefits, and the attached handbook that  explains eligibility of  the benefits, before you spend time trying to get a grant that based on what your asking you will not qualify for. 

Auto and adaptive equipment infor sheet..pdf 514.64 kB · 1 download Handbook 1173.4 Automobile Adaptive Equipment Program.pdf 58.95 kB · 1 download

Thank you for answering.  The C & P exam is being done for Neuropathy of upper right and left extremity, lower left and right neuropathy.  I was wondering if this is done when applying for adaptive equipment and vehicle 

[toddt]

With your clarification it may have to do with your application for adaptive equipment.  I am assuming that your "lower left and right neuropathy" has to do with your feet.  If so then the following would qualify you for adaptive equipment.

At least one of these must be true for you. You have:

• Loss, or permanent loss of use, of 1 or both feet

[Richard1954]

1 hour ago, Retiredsoldier1 said:

I was wondering if this is done when applying for adaptive equipment and vehicle 

As I said above normally the auto grant and auto adaptive equipment is granted as ancillary benefits  thru the course of a c/p exam for specific medical issues. For example if your claimed   neuropathy is service connected and it is so bad that you lose the ability to walk , this would be considered to be loss of use and a grant of auto adaptive equipment  as well as the auto grant.  But you must understand that loss of use is held to exist when a part of the body would function equally as well as an amputation with use of a suitable prosthesis. In other words,  you would not be able to walk with out braces or other devices.  Neuropathy of the lower limbs is normally associated with diabetics, although a back injury causing impingement on the nerves could  cause neuropathy  in some cases it would be rare to cause loss of use.  I do know that if this were my claim,  I would not attend a C/P examination without first obtaining an independent medical opinion(IMO)  that supported my claim. Keep in mind C/P examiners regardless who conducts them work for the US Government,  in this case the VA.  You do not want to put all the power in the VA's hands. If you acquire an IMO in support of your claim  and the VA examiner does not agree that your condition is service connected or does not agree that your condition causes loss of use,  you will receive the benefit of the doubt based on the supporting IMO because the evidence would be equally balanced.  Going into an exam without an IMO and then receiving a denial makes it harder for you to win the claim.