The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for involuntary bowel and involuntary urination, which are secondary neurological complications of his service-connected spine disability, is being remanded due to concerns about the competence of a VA examiner who provided recent examination reports.
The deciding factor: The decision was made based on the need to verify the qualifications of the VA examiner who conducted the most recent examinations related to the Veteran's conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- involuntary bowel, involuntary urination
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2023
- Citation
- 23011162
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 23011162.
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 remands the claims for increased ratings for involuntary urination and involuntary bowel as well as a claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for the aid and attendance of another person, due to missing records from private medical providers.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for involuntary bowel and involuntary urination, both secondary to his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability, are being remanded due to the need for new examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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