The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of the Veteran's conditions and lack of a clear diagnosis for PTSD under DSM-5.
The deciding factor: Insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s current diagnoses, particularly concerning his claimed back disability and psychiatric disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease of the Lumbar Spine, Coronary Artery Disease (status post myocardial infarction and automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) placement), Acquired Psychiatric Disorder, to include Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Depressive Disorder NOS
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18144625
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 18144625.
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 obstructive sleep apnea, and remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right shoulder disability, a right knee disability, and headaches due to insufficient evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and chronic sinusitis. However, it granted an increased disability rating of 30 percent for left upper extremity radiculopathy.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of July 15, 2020, for the grant of service connection for erectile dysfunction and special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for migraines and lumbar spondylosis, granted a 40% rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy, and granted TDIU and earlier effective dates for special monthly compensation and Dependents' Educational Assistance.
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