The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error, and he needs an examination to determine his eligibility for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant.
The deciding factor: The decision was remanded because the Veteran needed an additional VA examination to assess his eligibility for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with adjustment disorder, mixed anxiety, and depressed mood, sleep apnea, status post right carpal and lateral epicondylar release with residual right hand radial neuropathy, patellofemoral syndrome with degenerative joint disease of the right knee, lumbar spine strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee, tinnitus, left wrist strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy, hallux limitus/rigidus of the right great toe, headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2020
- Citation
- A20015329
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.