The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including those for postoperative hiatal hernia with abdominal scar, painful umbilical hernia scar, and an acquired psychiatric condition. The issues of angina and heart problems are also being deferred due to their dependency on the outcome of the service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient clarity regarding whether the Veteran had been granted separate ratings for two scars or if he had a single scar with pain. Additionally, the VA examiner's opinion regarding the Veteran's current psychological conditions and their relation to service was deemed inadequate due to reliance on inaccurate factual premises.
- Claimed conditions
- Postoperative hiatal hernia, Painful abdominal scar, postoperative umbilical hernia, Acquired psychiatric condition (likely PTSD), Angina, Heart problem other than angina, Residuals of cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 1, 2021
- Citation
- 21066423
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 21066423.
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 Veteran's appeal includes issues related to service connection for angina, an earlier effective date for left ankle sprain, and a rating in excess of 10 percent. The claims for angina and migraines are remanded, while the claim for allergic rhinitis is also remanded.,An earlier effective date has been granted for the acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition and a low back condition due to duty to assist errors. The Veteran's claim for PTSD is related to personal assault during service, but he was not provided notice regarding this requirement. For his low back condition, VA treatment records from 2008 were not obtained, and the examiner did not address the Veteran's contention that his current lumbosacral strain is related to in-service lifting heavy objects.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted an earlier effective date of May 19, 2015 for a 100 percent rating for service-connected heart disease.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any diagnosed psychiatric condition, including PTSD. The AOJ must also obtain and associate with the claims file all pertinent service records.
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