The Board has determined that additional medical examinations are needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's right ankle sprain and anxiety disorder, as well as to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed eye disorders. The Veteran is also entitled to a remand for service connection on the merits.
The deciding factor: The decision was made based on the need for additional medical examinations due to insufficient evidence in the record regarding the current state of the claimant's disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle sprain, Anxiety disorder, Corneal disorder (contact lens induced), Eye disorder (dry eye syndrome)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2021
- Citation
- 21072931
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 21072931.
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 Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder. The evidence is at least in balance regarding whether his current conditions are related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder, lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy contributed to his death from congestive heart failure. The claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is denied as the Veteran did not meet the criteria of having a combined rating of at least one year immediately preceding death.
- Granted
The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for the Veteran's right ankle sprain with pain and limitations in mobility, finding that his symptoms are functionally equivalent to ankylosis. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating as there is no evidence of actual ankylosis or ankylosis equivalent.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for a psychiatric disability to include PTSD and an anxiety disorder, other than the service-connected insomnia disorder. The claims for recurrent right shoulder disability, recurrent left shoulder disability, and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded.
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