The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for additional medical clarification and examination. The Veteran's PTSD claim is remanded because of conflicting evidence regarding his reported stressors. His hypertension, hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy, sleep apnea, and GERD claims are also remanded as there are insufficient post-service records or medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran has not provided sufficient post-service medical records to support his claims for service connection, particularly regarding his hypertension, hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy, sleep apnea, and GERD. The PTSD claim is remanded due to conflicting evidence about the nature of his reported stressors.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Hypertension, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Right Lower Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy, Left Lower Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Tinea Pedis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2020
- Citation
- 20021389
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 20021389.
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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