The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than unspecified anxiety disorder (including alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder), initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee patellofemoral syndrome (PFS) based on limitation of flexion, initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee patellofemoral syndrome (PFS) based on instability, and a rating in excess of 10 percent disabling for a chronic left ankle strain prior to June 13, 2015 are remanded due to inadequate examinations. The Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent disabling for a chronic left ankle strain from June 13, 2015 are also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the prior examinations were inadequate and required new examinations to determine the current severity of the Veteran's knee and ankle conditions, as well as whether his alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder is secondary or aggravated by his service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- alcohol use disorder, cannabis use disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 7, 2021
- Citation
- 21062546
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,062 · Granted: 34% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 21062546.
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 service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, along with alcohol use disorder, has been granted a 100% evaluation effective from April 8, 2021. The disability causes total occupational and social impairment.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia and alcohol use disorder caused his sleep apnea.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and alcohol use disorder, finding that there is no current diagnosis of PTSD and that the Veteran's only diagnosed condition is alcohol use disorder. The Board also found that service connection cannot be granted due to willful misconduct.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for PTSD and alcohol use disorder due to an error in notifying the Veteran of his right to a pre-decisional hearing before the AOJ.
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