The Veteran's appeal for service connection for depression, fatigue and lethargy is remanded due to the need for a comprehensive nerve evaluation.,The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings of radiculopathy in both upper and lower extremities are also remanded as current evidence does not provide a clear picture of their severity.
The deciding factor: Further clarification on the etiology of the Veteran’s depression is needed, as it may be secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The current state of radiculopathy in both upper and lower extremities requires additional evaluation for proper rating.,The Veteran's radiculopathies have not been evaluated since 2012, and the current evidence does not provide a clear picture of their severity.
- Claimed conditions
- Depression, Bilateral Lower Extremity Arthritis, Bilateral Upper Extremity Arthritis, Left Shoulder Condition, Middle Finger, Right Hand with Distortion, Middle Finger, Left Hand with Distortion, Left Wrist Tendonitis, Cervical Spine Degenerative Disc Disease, Lumbar Spinal Degenerative Disc Disease, Left Hip Degenerative Disc Disease with Limitation of Extension, Right Hip Degenerative Disc Disease with Limitation of Extension
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19119725
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 880 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19119725.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient findings regarding PTSD and depression, requiring a new VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in the AOJ's handling of the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder, and depression. The AOJ is required to verify the Veteran's claimed stressor and obtain medical opinions regarding the diagnoses and their relation to service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anxiety, and Depression as these conditions are found to be related to the Veteran's active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Veteran's lay statements and medical records are considered in determining whether there is a nexus between current symptoms and service.
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