The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and for higher ratings for sensory loss of the left hand and left wrist scars due to lack of verification of a claimed in-service stressor. The Veteran needs to provide additional details about his alleged stressor, which will be verified by the U.S. Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC). If confirmed, the Veteran should undergo a VA psychiatric examination to determine if he has PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder as a result of this stressor. Additionally, the Veteran's sensory loss and left wrist scar disabilities need to be reassessed.
The deciding factor: The claims are remanded because the alleged in-service stressor needs to be verified by the JSRRC, and if confirmed, the Veteran should undergo a VA psychiatric examination to determine if he has PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder as a result of this stressor. The sensory loss and left wrist scar disabilities also need to be reassessed.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 2, 2010
- Citation
- 1020139
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1020139.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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