The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for a psychiatric disorder, left and right hip disabilities, inguinal hernia, left and right leg numbness, and increases in his low back disability rating. The main reasons are the need for additional medical opinions regarding the nature of the Veteran's psychiatric condition and whether it is related to his service-connected low back disability, as well as the need for complete VA treatment records.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there were insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorder and left and right hip disabilities. Additionally, the record was incomplete with respect to certain medical records and private treatment records.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), arthritis in the hips, inguinal hernia, left leg numbness, right leg numbness
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19129737
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 17, 2022, for the grant of service connection for PTSD.
- 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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal for an increased rating of his service-connected PTSD during a Board hearing, and the appeal is therefore dismissed.
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