The Board remands the matters of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disability, a compensable rating for bilateral plantar calluses, and the appeal seeking to reopen a claim of service connection for residuals of cold injury to the feet due to the Veteran's failure to report for scheduled examinations and other circumstances.
The deciding factor: Remand is necessary under VA’s duty to assist to ensure that the Veteran receives notice of the scheduled examinations and copies of all evidence/paperwork in his appeal, and to secure updated clinical records from identified providers.
- Claimed conditions
- Psychiatric disability, to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Bilateral plantar calluses, Residuals of a cold injury to the feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2020
- Citation
- 20064110
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 100 percent rating for psychiatric disability and Meniere's disease, but denied SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
- Partly granted
The Board granted initial ratings of 70 percent for a psychiatric disability, 40 percent for a low back disability, and 20 percent each for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy involving the sciatic nerve and femoral nerve. The claim for an initial rating greater than 30 percent for irritable bowel syndrome was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the 70 percent rating for his service-connected psychiatric disability, finding that May 9, 2022, was the earliest date as of which it was factually ascertainable based on all evidence of record that an increase in disability had occurred.
- Partly granted
The Board denied higher initial ratings for the Veteran's psychiatric and right shoulder disabilities, but granted SMC based on aid and attendance as of February 9, 2023.
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