The Board has determined that further development is necessary before a decision on the merits may be made regarding the issues of entitlement to higher initial ratings for PTSD, TBI, and an increased rating for left wrist disability. The Veteran was last provided a VA examination relating to his PTSD in April 2010, over nine years ago, relating to his TBI in June 2010, over nine years ago, and relating to his left wrist in March 2013, or six years ago. During the August 2019 Board hearing, the Veteran testified that his service-connected PTSD, TBI, and left wrist disability have increased in severity. In light of the Veteran’s assertions, new VA examinations are required so that the current nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities may be determined.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has provided evidence indicating an increase in the severity of his service-connected conditions since the last examination, necessitating further evaluation to determine appropriate disability ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Residual sprain, left wrist with history of tendon tear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19184856
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,374 · Granted: 19% (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 19184856.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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