The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed epilepsy, as well as whether his service-connected psychiatric disabilities may have caused or aggravated this condition.
The deciding factor: The July 2019 VA examination was inadequate due to unclear conclusions, lack of consideration of the Veteran’s testimony about symptoms, and failure to address potential service connection based on in-service exposure. A new examination is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- epilepsy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20065982
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 service connection for seizures, to include epilepsy, as the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran had a current diagnosis of such a disorder related to his military service.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for epilepsy, bilateral detached retina (previously rated as blurred vision), cervical spine condition, and migraine headaches. However, it granted service connection for hypertension and earlier effective dates for lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claims for carotid artery stenosis, cerebral aneurysm, constipation, epilepsy, and hypertension to correct a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal to restore a 40 percent rating for his service-connected epilepsy, finding that there was an actual improvement in his condition as it pertains to his ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.