The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a low back disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD and major depressive disorder), hypertension, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), and erectile dysfunction (ED) due to in-service stressors. The Veteran's lay statements regarding continuity of symptomatology will be considered.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the claims are inextricably intertwined with the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, as any decision on one issue may affect the other issues. Therefore, these matters must be remanded to obtain a new VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Disorder, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (to include PTSD), Hypertension, Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs), Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20023339
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 20023339.
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 the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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