The Board has denied service connection for a back disorder and bilateral leg pain due to lack of evidence showing the conditions are related to service. The Veteran's PTSD claim is remanded as there were errors in obtaining unit records.,Service connection for heart, skin, enlarged prostate, erectile dysfunction, and sinus disorders is also remanded due to lack of evidence showing the conditions are related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's back pain began many years after service and was not related to in-service duties or injuries. The bilateral leg pain claim was limited to a neurological condition, but there is no current diagnosis of such.,Service connection for PTSD requires corroborating evidence of a stressor event. There were errors in obtaining unit records that may have contained information about the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents and his claimed stressor.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Disorder, Bilateral Leg Pain, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Heart Disorder, Skin Disorder, Enlarged Prostate, Erectile Dysfunction, Hypertension, Sinus Disorder, Right Upper Extremity Neuropathy, Left Shoulder Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 6, 2022
- Citation
- 22038661
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 22038661.
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 claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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