The Veteran's primary contention is that his quadriplegia has been caused by his service-connected PTSD. The Board finds the January 2015 VA opinion inadequate and another VA opinion is necessary to determine if it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or higher probability) that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD resulted in reckless and/or risk-taking behavior, including the Veteran's behavior in May 1989 which resulted in quadriplegia following a diving accident.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide a rationale for the opinion regarding the Veteran's service-connected PTSD resulting in reckless and/or risk-taking behavior.
- Claimed conditions
- quadriplegia
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 22, 2017
- Citation
- 1723591
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 1723591.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a need to associate certain FTCA files with the Veteran's claims file.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for quadriplegia to correct duty to assist errors, including obtaining outstanding VA treatment records and an adequate medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's quadriplegia was proximately caused and aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's quadriplegia, neurogenic bowel, and neurogenic bladder are not considered to be a result of VA carelessness, negligence, or error. The Board found that the additional disability was caused by inadequate care provided by the group home after discharge from VA facilities.
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