The Veteran's claims for PTSD, asthma, COPD, and right leg torn ACL are remanded due to the need for further examination and medical opinion.,The Veteran's applications to reopen his claims for service connection for left shoulder injury and depression are also remanded as new evidence may be relevant.,VA is required to provide an examination or obtain a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the claimed psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current assertions and treatment records indicate that he has been diagnosed with PTSD and asthma/COPD. The threshold for service connection is low, and VA must provide an examination to determine the relationship between these conditions and his military service.,VA is required to consider whether new evidence supports reopening of claims for left shoulder injury and depression due to the Veteran's assertions and treatment records indicating potential connections to service.,The Veteran has provided credible statements regarding in-service personal assault, which may support a diagnosis of PTSD. VA must provide an examination to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Right Leg Torn ACL
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20000273
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,240 · 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 20000273.
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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