The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and evaluation of various conditions, including a cervical spine disorder, left shoulder disorder, cataracts (secondary to dry eye syndrome), peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, total disability rating based on individual unemployability, and special monthly compensation due to need for aid and attendance. The claims are being remanded for additional development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the requested medical opinions were not obtained in previous decisions and that further evidence is needed to determine the nature of the Veteran's psychiatric diagnoses and their relationship to service or service-connected disabilities, as well as whether his cataracts are related to military service. The claims will be remanded for these purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine disorder, Left shoulder disorder, Cataracts (secondary to service-connected dry eye syndrome), Peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, Acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, including depression and major depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2022
- Citation
- 22004160
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 22004160.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and psychiatric disorder due to incomplete information. The Veteran needs to provide his complete service personnel records, verify his alleged combat experience in Vietnam, and undergo VA examinations for both conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the initial ratings assigned for psoriatic arthritis of the upper and lower extremities, as well as service connection for a cervical spine disorder, need to be remanded due to incomplete evidence. The Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ADT) and inactive duty for training (IDT) must be confirmed, and all relevant medical records should be obtained.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance, warranting an effective date of January 8, 2014 for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.
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