The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings are being remanded due to the failure of VA to contact him at his new address in Georgia. The examinations scheduled for June 2018 have not been conducted, and a copy of the Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) was sent to two prior addresses in South Carolina.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were not properly addressed due to VA failing to contact him at his new address in Georgia.
- Claimed conditions
- otitis media, edema, left shoulder bursitis, cervical spine disc disease status post C5-7 fusion, thoracolumbar disc disease, left hip strain, sinusitis, restrictive pulmonary disease with sleep apnea, hypertension, dysphagia, incisional and umbilical hernia repair, Hepatitis C, hypogonadism, benign prostatic hypertrophy, cervical radiculopathy with carpal tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity, cervical radiculopathy with carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with major depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19127000
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 Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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