The Veteran's appeal has been remanded for additional examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD, lumbar spine disorder, bronchitis, left fifth finger fracture, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and bilateral shin splints.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations conducted prior to the decision were not recent enough to adequately reflect the current state of the Veteran's disabilities. The Board finds a pre-decisional duty to assist error in failing to provide more recent VA examinations for these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Lumbar Spine Disorder, Bronchitis, Left Fifth Finger Fracture, Pseudofolliculitis Barbae, Bilateral Shin Splints
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 20, 2020
- Citation
- A20015773
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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