The Veteran asserts that he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, specifically PTSD, right knee disability, low back disability, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the left arm. The Board finds it necessary to remand the claim for a 'combined effects' medical opinion in order to sufficiently address the issue on appeal.
The deciding factor: The available medical evidence does not suggest that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, but the Veteran asserts that his combination of disabilities renders him unemployable. The Board finds it necessary to obtain a combined effects medical opinion to adequately assess this claim.
- Claimed conditions
- PTSD, Right Knee Disability, Low Back Disability, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy of the Left Arm
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 29, 2017
- Citation
- 1724634
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 1724634.
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 Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support an etiological relationship between his current condition and his military service.
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