The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings in excess of 50 percent for unspecified depressive disorder and right foot drop have been remanded due to the need for new examinations.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left foot drop is also remanded as it may be related to an in-service football injury.
The deciding factor: The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeals regarding PTSD and increased rating for headaches, leading to their dismissal.,The need for new examinations due to the passage of time since previous evaluations, which could indicate worsening of symptoms.,Potential misclassification of left foot drop as right foot drop in prior VA examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Unspecified Depressive Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Left Drop Foot, Right Foot Drop
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20033451
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 20033451.
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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