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

[Retiredsoldier1]

On 10/13/2019 at 1:02 PM, Richard1954 said:

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.

Thank you for explaining.  I filled out the application for adaptive equipment and vehicle.  When the appointment came to me it said you have a appointment with QTC for neuropathy of what I mentioned above. VA put neuropathy on the form even tho I have been sc since 2009 for diabetes.  When neuropathy was mentioned in 2009 it said deferred.  This is what I don’t understand. 

[Richard1954]

1 hour ago, Retiredsoldier1 said:

VA put neuropathy on the form even tho I have been sc since 2009 for diabetes

The real issues is not neuropathy.. the real issue is have you been diagnoses with  lost of use of your feet or hands because of a service connected disability in this case diabetes...  During the C/P exam the examiner will determine if you have loss of use , again leaving it to the C/P examiner is not a good idea.  Remember you must have one of the following to get the grant, or adaptive equipment.

 • Loss, or permanent loss of use, of one or both feet • Loss, or permanent loss of use, of one or both hands • Permanent vision impairment in both eyes to a certain degree • Severe burn injury • Diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) 

 

[Retiredsoldier1]

2 hours ago, Richard1954 said:

The real issues is not neuropathy.. the real issue is have you been diagnoses with  lost of use of your feet or hands because of a service connected disability in this case diabetes...  During the C/P exam the examiner will determine if you have loss of use , again leaving it to the C/P examiner is not a good idea.  Remember you must have one of the following to get the grant, or adaptive equipment.

 • Loss, or permanent loss of use, of one or both feet • Loss, or permanent loss of use, of one or both hands • Permanent vision impairment in both eyes to a certain degree • Severe burn injury • Diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) 

 

Thank you for answering.  I get it.  So basically the record should say loss or permanent loss of use

[Richard1954]

1 hour ago, Retiredsoldier1 said:

So basically the record should say loss or permanent loss of use

exactly