The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and examinations, as well as to ensure that all relevant evidence has been considered in the adjudication of his claims.
The deciding factor: The Veteran needs further examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorder, GERD, lumbar spine disability, bilateral foot disability, and hepatitis C with elevated liver enzymes.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Degenerative joint disease with spinal canal stenosis, lumbago, and spondylosis of the lumbar spine, Onychomycosis and tinea pedis of the bilateral feet, History of hepatitis C with elevated liver enzymes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2015
- Citation
- 1514820
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 1514820.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Dupuytren's contracture of the left hand, right hand, and GERD is remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to consider toxic exposure risk activities during service.
- Denied
The Veteran's GERD is currently rated at 10 percent disabling, but the Board found that his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that both conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition and sinusitis, respectively.
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