The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, and for secondary service connection for erectile dysfunction to include as secondary to service-connected benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The VA is instructed to verify all periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA and obtain any outstanding service treatment or personnel records. They are also asked to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination by an appropriately qualified examiner to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed erectile dysfunction and acquired psychiatric disorder.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there were ambiguities in the medical opinions provided, particularly regarding the presence of PTSD and other acquired psychiatric disorders. The Board also noted that the Veteran had Reserve duty following his discharge from active duty, which needed to be verified.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, Erectile Dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2018
- Citation
- 18148219
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 18148219.
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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