The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a new vocational rehabilitation evaluation considering his current service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The decision was not about service connection but rather the eligibility for VR&E benefits, specifically for pursuing an M.B.A. The case requires further review with updated information and a new assessment of the Veteran's capabilities due to his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress disorder, migraines, diabetes mellitus, lumbar facet joint arthropathy and disc disease, right upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy with carpal tunnel syndrome, left upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy with carpal tunnel syndrome, right femoral nerve peripheral neuropathy and radiculopathy, left femoral nerve peripheral neuropathy and radiculopathy, right lower extremity sciatic nerve neuropathy, left lower extremity sciatic nerve neuropathy, tinnitus, hypertension, bilateral cataracts
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19184427
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 granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- 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.
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