Your compensation and pension (C&P) exam is one of the most important sources of evidence that the VA considers when determining your disability compensation. If you get a bad exam result, you will need to supply the VA with extra evidence about your medical conditions, such as a second opinion from a different physician. In fact, this kind of supplemental evidence can be helpful even if you believe your C&P exam went well. As long as what you submit is credible and relevant, additional evidence will generally help your case.
Having your VA benefits denied can be a nightmare. But with the help of an experienced VA disability lawyer, you can fight back against the bureaucracy and get the justice you deserve. Some disability claims get denied as the result of a clerical error, but in many other cases, the VA may need more evidence of your disability or its connection to your military service. To learn more about what kind of evidence you need to successfully appeal your case, call Jackson & MacNichol today at 1(888) 492-2941 for a free consultation.
Your C&P Exam Probably Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
After your C&P exam, it’s a good idea to request a copy of the results from your regional office (RO). The C&P exam report is supposed to detail exactly what the examiner considered and observed during the exam, so you will immediately be able to tell if they forgot to write down something important about your condition. You should note any significant differences between what you told the examiner at the exam and what is included in this report.
You should put your observations into your case record by writing a dispute letter, and either sending it to your RO or uploading it to your e-benefits profile. The dispute letter should summarize each and every point in the C&P exam that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. By doing this, you will put the VA rating staff on notice that the C&P exam may not tell the whole story. Establishing this type of paper trial will be helpful if should you receive a negative decision and need to appeal your case.
A Statement From Your Treating Physician Can Strengthen Your Case
If you are suffering from a debilitating condition, it’s likely that you are being treated regularly by a physician or a nurse practitioner. Their opinions and observations about your condition can be essential to proving your disability case.
Your treating physician knows you and is knowledgeable about the causes and symptoms of your condition. The examiner who performed your C&P exam, on the other hand, may only have limited experience or knowledge of your condition. If you are suffering from an uncommon condition, or one that can only be properly diagnosed or treated by a specialist, be sure to include opinion evidence from your treating physician. Click here for more information about submitting private medical evidence for your claim.
Build a Stronger Case With the Help of a Veterans Benefits Lawyer
Many veterans are rightfully concerned about the C&P exam process, but that is only one piece of the puzzle. If the VA has given you an unfairly low disability rating, or if they have denied you disability compensation altogether, it is not necessarily because your medical information was incomplete. Sometimes, the problem is that your case needs better evidence of a connection between your medical problems and your military service. At Jackson & MacNichol, we will take a close look at your case to determine exactly what evidence is needed for you to access the benefits you deserve. For a free consultation, call us today at 1(888) 492-2941.
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