The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent and the appeal for a higher rating is denied.,Service connection for ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure is denied as there is no current diagnosis of ischemic heart disease in the record.,Service connection for hypertension, which may be presumed due to herbicide exposure, is remanded as the VA opinion did not address whether PTSD aggravated the Veteran's hypertension.,The Veteran’s skin disability is remanded as a VA examination is needed to determine its etiology.
The deciding factor: The severity of the Veteran's PTSD symptoms does not meet the criteria for a higher rating, specifically a 100 percent rating which requires gross impairment in thought processes or communication; persistent delusions or hallucinations; grossly inappropriate behavior; persistent danger of hurting self or others; intermittent inability to perform activities of daily living (including maintenance of minimal personal hygiene); disorientation time or place; or memory loss for names of close relatives, own occupation or own name.,There is no current diagnosis of ischemic heart disease in the record. The Veteran's service records do not show a diagnosis and his post-service treatment records also lack such a diagnosis.,The VA opinion did not address whether PTSD aggravated the Veteran's hypertension. Therefore, further examination is needed to determine if there is aggravation.,There are no current diagnoses of skin disability in the record. The Veteran has provided evidence of dermatitis, dermatosis, dyschromia, urticaria, and xerosis but a VA examination is required to establish whether these conditions are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Ischemic Heart Disease, Hypertension, Skin Disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20005547
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 claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of February 21, 2007, for the award of service connection for PTSD and major depressive disorder with anxious distress.
- Granted
The Board granted a rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), as the Veteran's symptoms most nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
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