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
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,104 · Granted: 28% (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 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.
- Granted
The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for the Veteran's right ankle sprain with pain and limitations in mobility, finding that his symptoms are functionally equivalent to ankylosis. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating as there is no evidence of actual ankylosis or ankylosis equivalent.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the appellant's right ankle sprain is related to an injury sustained during service and grants the claim for service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied because the evidence did not show that his service-connected PTSD rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings on several issues, including right ankle sprain and lumbosacral strain, has been remanded due to insufficient evidence in the record.
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