The Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disorders are related to his military service, but the bilateral knee and foot conditions may not be. The acquired psychiatric disorder is also related to service.,The Veteran has a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder (schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type with psychotic symptoms) that likely had its onset during or is otherwise related to his period of active duty from 1973 to 1979.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence linking the Veteran's current cervical and lumbar spine disorders to service, but noted pes planus was present at entrance into service. The examiner also noted that the Veteran had multiple complaints of back pain during service which may have contributed to his current condition.,The acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service based on the Veteran's lay statements describing stressors in service and a diagnosis by VA psychiatrists.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine disorder, Lumbar spine disorder, Left and right knee disorders, Bilateral foot disorder, Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus, Acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2017
- Citation
- 1752922
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 1752922.
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 service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- 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 Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and psychiatric disorder due to incomplete information. The Veteran needs to provide his complete service personnel records, verify his alleged combat experience in Vietnam, and undergo VA examinations for both conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
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