The Board has determined that the Veteran's timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) regarding his service-connected decreased function of the left hand was received within one year of the July 2017 rating decision. The remaining issues, including increased ratings for burns and scars of the left hand and forearm, anxiety disorder, and a TDIU claim, are remanded due to procedural errors.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's timely NOD regarding his service-connected decreased function of the left hand was received within one year of the July 2017 rating decision. The remaining issues require further development as they were not addressed in the previous rating decisions and have potential procedural defects.
- Claimed conditions
- Decreased function of the left hand, Burns and scars of the left hand and forearm, Anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19161948
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 19161948.
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 remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, recurrent depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and unspecified bipolar and related disorder based on credible evidence of in-service stressors and continuous symptoms since service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder, other than posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), variously diagnosed as major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, adjustment disorder, and panic disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder as the Veteran does not have a currently diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder related to his service.
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