Carlos L. Lopez, Sr. v. The United States of America, Department of Veterans Affairs

Background and Key Facts 3. The parties generally agree on the timeline of key events. Carlos Lopez, Jr. served in the U.S. Army for several years. He was deployed to the Middle East, where he engaged in combat. He incurred significant physical injuries (including a traumatic brain injury) during his time in the military. Along with that, he was diagnosed with considerable mental health disorders. 4. After his return to civilian life, Mr. Lopez received medical and mental health treatment from the Veterans Administration. Of relevance to this civil action, Mr. Lopez went to a VA neurology clinic in Los Angeles in May 2018. Mr. Lopez complained about ongoing back pain. (Ex. 8 (treatment notes).) A resident physician (Dr. Chong) and his

CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CIVIL MINUTES - GENERAL

Case No. CV 21-10036 MRW Date July 8, 2024 Title Lopez v. United States

attending supervisor (Dr. Wilson) prescribed gabapentin for Mr. Lopez. He was directed to return to the clinic in five months for a follow-up visit. (Id. at 5.) 5. In June 2018, Mr. Lopez walked into a VA mental health clinic in downtown Los Angeles. He asked to see a psychiatrist…