The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent, effective October 6, 2020. The RO granted an earlier effective date of July 2, 2014, for the cervical spine disability.,The Veteran's left and right thumb disabilities are each rated at 10 percent, effective November 1, 2012. Separate ratings were assigned for her urinary incontinence, bilateral foot disability, and cervical spine disability.,The Veteran's bilateral pes cavus with bilateral plantar fasciitis is currently rated as 50 percent disabling.
The deciding factor: There are no records showing the Veteran had diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, nor systolic pressure predominately 200 or more. Therefore, a higher rating for hypertension is not warranted.,The earliest record showing complaints of neck pain is from July 2, 2014. A minimum compensable 10 percent rating is therefore warranted for cervical spine disability since that date.,There are no records indicating the Veteran had incapacitating episodes due to IVDS during the appeal period. Therefore, the appropriate criteria for rating such disability is under the General Rating Formula.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, cervical spine degenerative joint disease (cervical spine disability), left thumb degenerative disease, right thumb degenerative disease, urinary incontinence, bilateral pes cavus with bilateral plantar fasciitis (bilateral foot disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2023
- Citation
- 23016765
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 23016765.
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 claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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