IMO and Nexus Letters for Veteran Disability Claims

BONUS FOR THE VETERAN OF THE VETERAN SHARE OF THE DAY

I provide Independent medical opinion ( IMO Letters) to disabled veterans

In addition to being a lawyer I am an academic transplant surgeon with almost thirty years of medical experience. I provide Independent Medical Opinions (IMO Letters) to disabled Veterans in a form of a Nexus letter combining the best medical analysis and research with knowledge of the veteran’s disability law. My purpose is to provide you with a nexus letter which will convince the DRO or the BVA judge that you are indeed disabled due to injuries incurred during your military service
What is Nexus?

There are three steps involved in a claim for service connection. a. First, the veteran must present satisfactory lay or other evidence of service incurrence or aggravation of such injury or disease . Second, the VA must determine whether that evidence is consistent with the circumstances, conditions, or hardships of such service. The third and final requirement is demonstrating that there is a nexus (a link or a connection) between the current disability and the event that occurred during the period of military service.
What are IMO Letters?

To meet the nexus requirement, the veteran must have an evaluation by a physician that will establish that the veteran is indeed disabled and also that his disability is as likely as not caused by his military service. There are two methods used to establish such a nexus; one is independent medical examination and the other is independent medical opinion. The first involves an actual examination of the veteran at the doctor’s office. The second method does not require a physical examination, but does require an experienced physician who will carefully review the entire medical record and the C&P examination, and then perform independent and thorough medical research relevant to the issues of the veteran’s case. The expert drafts an analysis of this information, presenting the medical history in a way that best supports the claim.
Why do I need Nexus / IMO Letters for my Veteran Disability claim?

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) was asked by the Veterans’ Disability Benefits Commission to study and recommend improvements in the medical evaluation and rating of veterans for the benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to compensate for illnesses or injuries incurred in or aggravated by military service The IOM noted that inadequacy of the raters employed by the VA: “Few raters have medical backgrounds. They are required to review and assess medical evidence provided by treating physicians and VHA examining physicians and determine percentage of disability, but VBA does not have medical consultants or advisers to support the raters. Medical advisers would also improve the process of deciding what medical examinations and tests are needed to sufficiently prepare a case for rating” General (OIG) reported that 24 percent (95,000 of 405,000) of the C&P examinations had been incomplete in FY 1993, a percentage that had not improved much in FY 1996, when 22 percent were incomplete (VA, 1997b). The IOM found also that For example, of the spine exams requested during the second quarter of fiscal year 2005, 32 percent of the exam requests had at least one error such as: •not identifying the pertinent condition; •not requesting the appropriate exam;