The Users Guide to the VAWatchdog Dot Org
How to navigate to what you need and what we're all about. Welcome aboard!
Veterans Attorney & Veterans Doctor
(520) 219-7344
Julie L. Glover, Veterans Law Attorney GLOVERLUCK Adam R. Luck, Veterans Law Attorney
Veterans Law At Your Service
Unemployability (TDIU) Appeals,
Agent Orange Exposure, Death Benefits, PTSD & Mental Health Appeals,
Gulf War Syndrome, BVA % CAVC Appeals,
Asbestos or Radiation exposure, Traumatic Brain Injury
Nationwide Representation Free Claim Evaluation
844 244 VETS (8387)
Jim's Mailbag
Jim Strickland is a Vietnam era Army veteran and nationally recognized expert on VA disability benefits and a member of the Stateside Legal Website Advisory Board. Jim's Mailbag, is a regular column where veterans, servicemembers, and family members can ask Jim their questions about VA and Social Security disability benefits.
You can browse all of these Q&As here, and search the Jim's Mailbag archives for helpful answers.
If Jim hasn't already addressed the questions you have, you can submit your own question.
Hello Jim,
I'd like to ask you about...TDIU and Activities of Daily Living, Charges against Purple Heart Disabled Marine, Total hip replacement and complications, Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions, Prostate Cancer "cured" but now recurring, Ischemic Heart Disease and new stents implanted, Applied for disability via his doctor...and many many more.
Do Your Homework!
Search The Board of Veterans' Appeals Decisions
When you arrive at the landing page for the BVA search function, use words like 'IMO' and 'IME' and 'medical opinion' along with your claimed condition to learn how the court views an IMO tied to a condition like yours.
For example, if you are researching how the BVA views the opinions of expert disability doctors on degenerative arthritis of the hips, type in 'hip arthritis IMO medical opinion' and choose the years you want to search.
Remember that BVA decisions do not establish
precedence and just because a veteran prevailed in an appeal similar to yours doesn't mean a chip shot for you.
PTSD Evaluations and Veteran Medical Opinions, Brett Valette, PhD - Clinical Psychologist
If you have served in any war from Viet Nam to Iraq and Afghanistan, and if you’ve had any traumatic experience that is affecting you today, then you need to talk to me as I can do a compassionate record review and Independent Veteran Medical Opinion (IMO) based on your psychiatric issues.
I’m Dr. Brett Valette, a clinical psychologist and I’ve specialized in PTSD and trauma evaluations for over 15 years. If it’s a combat trauma, or if you were non-combat but experienced traumatic events, or if you were a victim of sexual trauma, I want to help you because VA often mis-categorizes these serious PTSD related issues as personality disorders.
If you were previously denied benefits, or you were labeled as “not fitting criteria” or if you have not had a service connected condition, I can help you as I have 15 years worth of experience with these types of veteran medical opinion related benefits.
I have been providing Independent Medical Opinions and Evaluations for over 15 years. I specialize in PTSD, TBI, Post Concussive Disorder, Cognitive Impairments, and Mood Disorders (depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety; many of these symptoms are part of PTSD). Call or email me and let’s talk. I want to help, and I can help. My Email: bvalette@aol.com Office: 303 465-3147
Dr. Craig Bash has been helping veterans with independent medical opinions for over 20 years.
In that time, he has helped over 4000 veterans with over 40,000 claims with a high success rate. He has hundreds of cases at the BVA, which can be searched under the BVA search engine or found on his web site at www.veteransmedadvisor.com.
He has over 1000 name mentions at the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). He is an assistant Professor and invited lecturer at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
He has been an expert witness for world class medical systems such as the the VA and Johns Hopkins medical centers.
Additionally, he has 15 years of research experience at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he studied experimental MRI imaging of neurologic disease.
He was previously a deputy doctor of medical services at the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) and he has done over 50 site visits to the VA's largest hospitals for quality of care purposes.
Dr. Bash has been 100% VA disabled since his 1984 spinal cord injury which required a 5 month VA inpatient rehabilitation stay. Thus he is familiar with VA care and rating system from a users prospective.
He also professional knows the private and government sector issues in quality of care and how these care issues/diseases interface with the VA rating system. The key to his success is his training, credentials, thoroughness and experience with VA cases.
Craig N. Bash M.D., M.B.A.
Neuro-Radiologist and Associate Professor
IMO/IME Independent Medical Opinions Independent Medical Examinations
We recommend that every veteran consider seeking an Independent Medical Examination (IME) or an Independent Medical Opinion (IMO) for their VA disability benefits claim. The VA has become increasingly difficult to navigate.
Because of the difficulty in receiving a fair decision from VA, we at VAWatchdog have recognized that veterans who have even the simplest claims can no longer rely on a fair decision. Every veteran should prepare to have expert help as they develop their claim. This includes legal representation by a VA accredited attorney as well as expert opinions from highly skilled and well qualified physicians.
There is a difference in the IME and the IMO. The IME requires your physical presence in front of the examining physician. The IMO is based on the opinion of the physician after he has thoroughly reviewed your records. It is our opinion that the IMO may
be the better choice in most cases.
To write an acceptable IMO is not a simple task. The physician must first understand the law that applies to the claim.
The physician must know the details of how disabling conditions may affect the overall quality of life of the veteran patient. Disability law is not something that most physicians are trained in. Each of the doctors featured here is expert in the arena of
disability medicine. We urge veterans to review their claims with one of these physicians and to seek the help of an attorney.
Dr. David Anaise is a physician and a lawyer.
Dr. Anaise told us, "In addition to being a lawyer, I am a surgeon with almost thirty years of medical experience. I was Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery and Attending Surgeon in Transplantation at SUNY at Stony Brook. I served as President of the New York Transplantation Society and as Assistant Editor of Transplantation Proceedings.
My background in medicine and research makes me well qualified to thoroughly review and present your disability case. I obtain, study and analyze all your medical records and perform independent medical research relevant to the issues of your case. I then present an analysis presenting your medical history in a way that best supports your claim.
You may learn more about Dr. Anaise by visiting his web site here.
VA Malpractice Attorneys Helping Veterans Harmed By The VA
Veterans Healthcare Rights - Federal Tort Claims - VA Medical Malpractice Claims,
Misdiagnosis, Hospital Negligence, Medical Errors
For a review of your VA malpractice case contact our lawyers today. Our firm serves throughout
the nation, and is one of the few firms to have specialized experience in VA malpractice cases.
(949) 640-8222.
Veterans Law Attorney OEF & OIF Air Force Veteran
A VETERAN FOR VETERANS
Proven Results • Direct Communication • No Fees Unless You Win
TDIU CUE Specializing in PTSD Disability Claims & Appeals MST TBI Hearing Loss & Tinnitus Appeals
Nationwide Representation Free Case Assessment (844) 385-5665
Discharge Upgrades
VA Form 21-526EZ
Use For...
Disability Service Connection
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Disability Compensation
Temporary Total Disability Rating
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Compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1151
Special Monthly Compensation
Special Home Adaptation
Automobile Allowance
/Adaptive Equipment
Benefits Based on a Veteran's
Seriously Disabled Child
Preservation of disability ratings
Medical Malpractice Claims, VA 1151 Claims, Personal Injury Claims, Accident Claims, Civil Law Suits
Roger Hale, Veterans Law Attorney
Nationwide Representation
The Benefits Navigator will list benefits you may be eligible for
Civil Rights
The Law Offices of David Anaise, MD JD
Board Certified Physician/Surgeon Accredited Veterans Law Attorney Military Veteran
DRO, BVA, CAVC Appeals Nexus Letters Independent Medical Opinions
Has Your Claim Been Denied? Do you need an IMO or a DBQ?
You'll need to speak with an expert physician and then a veterans law attorney.
Why not speak with both at the same time?
(520) 219-7321 Free Case Evaluation (520) 219-7344
Say what?
The Veterans Medical Advisor
Independent Medical Opinions Nexus Letters Records Review
Nationwide Representation Free Consultation
(240) 506-1556
FREE case evaluation.
The attorneys and doctors
you'll meet here will be happy to review your case for free. It will
only cost you a little of your time
to speak with an expert.
What are you waiting for?
VAWatchdog Dot Org
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Roger Hale, Veterans Law Attorney
SSDI & TDIU Claims
Personal Injury Claims Nationwide Representation Free Claim Evaluation
(405) 531-9983
There is no substitute
for the veteran claimant who is involved and informed. Once you've learned how the system really works, filing correctly...getting it right the first time...isn't that hard to do. Educate yourself by reading what the experts have to say.
Drew Early, Veterans Law Attorney
West Point Graduate - 20 Years Army Service - Airborne - Explosive Ordnance Badge
Free Case Review - Nationwide Representation
BVA/DRO Appeals - Fiduciary & Caregiver Issues, Trusts, Wills
Appeals of Veterans & Survivor Claims
(770) 939-1939
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Roger Hale, Veterans Law Attorney
(405) 531-9983
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Some Wounds Cannot Be Seen
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(303) 465-3147