The Board has denied service connection for right knee disability, heart disability, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy. Service connection for PTSD is remanded due to the need for a retrospective opinion on its onset and etiology.
The deciding factor: PTSD was not diagnosed during service or related to military service based on lay statements and VA examination findings.
- Claimed conditions
- Right knee disability, Heart disability (coronary artery disease), Diabetes mellitus, Peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21016080
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 21016080.
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 TDIU claim for bilateral knee disabilities and his right and left knee scars have been granted. He is now rated at a combined 60% disability rating from June 1, 2018 based on bilateral factors for his bilateral knee disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of ambulance travel expenses incurred on June 17, 2025 due to an emergency heart attack. The ambulance service was provided by a volunteer organization and later intercepted by a higher-tier EMT company.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities have been granted due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that his current diagnosis of right knee strain is related to his military service.
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