The Board is remanding the issues of service connection for low back disability and bilateral knee disability due to inadequate reasoning in previous VA examinations.,The Board is also remanding the issue of service connection for a respiratory disorder other than OSA, including COPD, due to inadequate reasoning in previous VA examinations.,The Board is remanding the issue of service connection for a skin disability due to inadequate reasoning in previous VA examinations.,The Board is also remanding the issues of service connection for sleep disorder and anxiety disorder both related to PTSD due to inadequate reasoning in previous VA examinations.,The Board is further remanding the issue of rating greater than 10 percent for GERD due to inadequate reasoning in previous VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The March 2016 VA examination provided inadequate reasoning to support the negative nexus provided, and an examiner must consider the Veteran’s lay statements concerning symptoms he experienced.,The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on the issue of entitlement to service connection for a respiratory condition other than OSA due to in-service chemical exposure without considering whether the Veteran was exposed to sulfuric acid fumes, asbestos from brakes, and exhaust fumes during his time on active duty.,The VA examiner did not consider the Veteran’s claims that he experienced white spots on his arms in service, which flared up in the heat. The examination focused only on a skin disability of the head (scalp and nose), whereas the claim has been one involving a skin disability of the arms.,The Board is unclear as to whether the examiner considered the Veteran’s claims that he experienced white spots on his arms in service, which flared up in the heat. The opinion is internally inconsistent, confusing, and incomplete. Another remand for a VA examination is necessary.,The March 2016 VA examination provided inadequate reasoning to support the negative nexus provided, and an examiner must consider whether PTSD represented a progression of earlier diagnosis or development of a new and separate condition.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability, bilateral knee disability, respiratory disorder (other than OSA), skin disability, sleep disorder (due to PTSD), anxiety disorder (due to PTSD), GERD
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 31, 2018
- Citation
- 18122665
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 18122665.
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 the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability and increased ratings for her bilateral knee disabilities, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for a neurological examination to determine if any diagnosed radiculopathy or other neurological disability affecting the lower extremities was caused or aggravated by service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that remand is needed for the Veteran's claims due to duty to assist errors, including clarification of periods of service and obtaining relevant records. The Veteran will be afforded new medical examinations for each claimed disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA opinion and a need for further examination.
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