The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and employment records from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and former employer (USPS). A new VA examination will be conducted to assess the effect of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment and to determine whether his hypertension is caused by a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's TDIU claim requires updated medical records and an assessment of combined effects due to multiple service-connected conditions. The hypertension issue needs clarification regarding its etiology, particularly in light of the recent service connection for diabetes mellitus.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Residuals of Prostate Cancer, Diabetes Mellitus Type II, Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 23, 2015
- Citation
- 1549345
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 1549345.
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
Service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is granted. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
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