The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected residual scars has been denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, intermittent numbness of the left hand and fingers, and intermittent numbness of the left knee and lower leg have been remanded to obtain additional medical opinions.,The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected PTSD has been remanded to obtain a new VA examination.,The Veteran's claims for evaluations in excess of 40 percent for his service-connected back conditions, resection of the large intestine, and removal of left kidney have been remanded to obtain additional medical opinions.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU has been remanded due to the interrelated nature with other increased rating claims.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient information provided by previous VA examinations regarding the severity of the Veteran’s service-connected residual scars, and a new examination is needed to determine if they warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.,The medical opinions obtained do not provide sufficient detail on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's erectile dysfunction, intermittent numbness of the left hand and fingers, and intermittent numbness of the left knee and lower leg. Additional information is needed to determine if these conditions are service-connected or related to his military service.,The VA examiner was unable to provide an opinion regarding whether the Veteran’s PTSD symptoms can be separated from other service-connected disabilities without resorting to speculation. A new examination is necessary to clarify this issue.,The VA examiner did not obtain data regarding the frequency, duration, characteristics, precipitating and alleviating factors, and severity of flare-ups for the Veteran's back conditions. Therefore, a new examination is needed to determine if his service-connected back conditions warrant separate evaluations from other disabilities.,The Veteran’s private physician has records that may contain pertinent information related to his claims but have not been associated with the file. These records must be obtained before further adjudication can be rendered.
- Claimed conditions
- residual scars, left lower quadrant, colostomy sight left lower quadrant, para lumbar region, erectile dysfunction, intermittent numbness, left hand and fingers, intermittent numbness, left knee and lower leg
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20022386
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 20022386.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran meets the basic medical eligibility criteria for PCAFC benefits due to his need for personal care services based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment or injury. However, further clinical evaluation is needed to determine if participation in the program is in the Veteran's best interest.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer, coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus type II (DM II), hypertension, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to service-connected DM II. The Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange during active service is presumed.
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