The Board has determined that more information is needed to adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA examinations and opinions regarding the etiology of his psychiatric disabilities, sickle cell trait, back disability, hip disability, knee disability, loss of use of bilateral lower extremities, TDIU, and DEA.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current evidence is insufficient to make a determination on the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions provided by VA examiners and private evaluators. The Board also noted that there are inextricably intertwined issues of service connection for loss of use of bilateral lower extremities, TDIU, and DEA.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depressive disorder, Sickle cell trait, Back disability, Bilateral hip disability, Bilateral knee disability, Loss of use of bilateral lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 21, 2018
- Citation
- 18127846
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18127846.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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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