The Veteran's right ankle disability and bilateral foot condition are being remanded for further examination to determine the current severity of these conditions.,The Veteran's bilateral foot condition is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its relationship to service-connected right ankle sprain. A new VA examination is needed to assess whether it is secondary to his service-connected condition.,The Veteran's back disability and acquired psychiatric disability are being remanded for a comprehensive evaluation, including opinions on the nature of these conditions and their relation to service.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD, depression, alcohol use disorder in remission) is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its relationship to service. A new VA examination is needed to assess whether it is related to personal assault during service.
The deciding factor: Further development of the medical evidence is necessary before adjudicating the claims for increased rating, bilateral foot condition, back disability, and acquired psychiatric disability.,The current VA examination did not comply with the requirements in Sharp v. Shulkin (2017) regarding flare-ups and functional loss due to these conditions.,VA must provide a medical examination when there is evidence establishing that an event, injury, or disease manifested during an applicable presumptive period for which the claimant qualifies, and there is indication that the disability may be associated with the veteran’s service or with another service-connected disability.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD) requires proper VCAA notice regarding personal assault and military sexual trauma.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle sprain, Bilateral foot condition (plantar fasciitis), Back disability (thoracolumbar spine), Acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD, depression, alcohol use disorder in remission)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19163335
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 19163335.
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 claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back pain, knee and wrist joint pains, neck pain, anxiety, depression, as further development is needed to properly adjudicate these claims.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for generalized anxiety disorder and denied service connection for a lower back disorder. The claims for depression, substance abuse disorder, and a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss were dismissed.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for depression, PTSD, and an anxiety disorder due to the lack of a current diagnosis.
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