The Veteran's claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, anal fissures, hemorrhoids and pruritus ani are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding direct service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide a thorough rationale for the conclusions reached regarding direct service connection and the Veteran’s service in Southwest Asia.
- Claimed conditions
- irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), anal fissures, hemorrhoids, pruritus ani
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 8, 2020
- Citation
- A20018161
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 service connection for hemorrhoids due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring an additional direct medical opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, with the exception of remanding certain issues.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Granted
The Board granted a 10 percent rating for hemorrhoids, which fully satisfies the Veteran's appeal.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.