The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development due to the need for new and material evidence regarding his psychiatric disorder, as well as for VA examinations to assess his bilateral knee disabilities, sciatic nerve disabilities, and low back disability.,VA has also been instructed to schedule the Veteran for an examination to confirm any current ankle disabilities and provide opinions on their etiology.
The deciding factor: The appeal is being remanded due to new evidence received that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the service connection claim for psychiatric disorder. Additionally, VA examinations are needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, sciatic nerve disabilities, and low back disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Right Ankle Disability, Left Ankle Disability, Lumbar Spine Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (IVDS) with Degenerative Changes, Left Knee Instability, Right Knee Instability, Impairment of the Sciatic Nerve of the Left Lower Extremity, Impairment of the Sciatic Nerve of the Right Lower Extremity
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 24, 2022
- Citation
- 22048101
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 22048101.
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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