The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for joint pain, low back pain, and ulcerative colitis (claimed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and infection of lower tract), to include as secondary to PTSD. The claims are being remanded for further action.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional development is required due to the need to obtain relevant private treatment records and conduct a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's ulcerative colitis, including whether it is related to service or PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- joint pain, low back pain, ulcerative colitis (claimed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and infection of lower tract)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181682
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 case to obtain a more comprehensive medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's joint pain, particularly addressing his reported symptoms and exposure during Gulf War service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for asthma but denied all other claims, including service connection for various conditions and a compensable rating for scars between the scapulae.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection and initial ratings were dismissed due to an untimely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) being filed more than one year after the November 2022 rating decision.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a right leg condition, sinusitis, lower back condition, and joint pain as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
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