The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and evaluations to determine the nature, etiology, and severity of his right wrist disability and whether it is related to his service-connected conditions. The initial evaluation for bilateral hearing loss remains denied as there is no evidence showing a compensable level of impairment. The higher staged evaluations for PTSD are also being remanded due to new information that may affect the Veteran's employability.
The deciding factor: The current examinations and opinions do not fully address the nature, etiology, or severity of the right wrist disability, nor do they adequately consider whether it is related to his service-connected conditions. These issues require further evaluation by a clinician who can provide the necessary medical opinion based on the Veteran's history and examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Right Middle Finger Fracture, Right Wrist Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 29, 2018
- Citation
- 18115206
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 18115206.
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
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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