The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and verification of stressor events.,Additional clarification is needed regarding whether the Veteran has a current diagnosis of pes planus and if it is related to his active-duty service. The AOJ will attempt to verify the Veteran's reported in-service foot pain and seek out any relevant medical records.,The AOJ must determine whether the Veteran has a current diagnosis of shin splints, and if so, whether they are related to his active-duty service. Verification is needed for the stressor event witnessed by the Veteran at Camp Pendleton.,The AOJ will need to clarify whether the Veteran has left elbow lateral epicondylitis and determine its relationship to his active-duty service. The AOJ must also obtain an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder, including any potential superimposed condition on a personality disorder.,For the right knee disability claims, additional development is needed as the examiner did not provide range of motion measurements in non-weight-bearing and provided no explanation for why these could not be performed. The AOJ will need to obtain an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's pes planus was aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The Board cannot determine the validity of the Veteran's claims without additional development as there are inconsistencies in the record and unverified stressor events.,Without a current diagnosis, it is not possible to determine if the Veteran has a current disability related to his active-duty service. The AOJ must seek out relevant medical records and verify the Veteran's reported symptoms.,The AOJ needs to verify the Veteran's reported in-service stressor event and determine its relationship to his active-duty service. Without this information, it is not possible to determine if the Veteran has a current disability related to his active-duty service.,The AOJ must clarify whether the Veteran has an unspecified depressive disorder and determine its relationship to his active-duty service. The AOJ will need to obtain an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder, including any potential superimposed condition on a personality disorder.,Without range of motion measurements in non-weight-bearing, it is not possible to determine the severity of the Veteran's right knee disability and whether it was aggravated by service. The AOJ will need to obtain an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's pes planus was aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder, Pes planus, Shin splints, Left elbow disability, Right knee disability (limitation of motion), Right knee disability (lateral instability)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 28, 2023
- Citation
- 23018880
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 23018880.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a determination on whether injuries sustained in a November 2001 incident were in the line of duty. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is also remanded due to its interdependence with the line of duty issue.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error in failing to obtain private treatment records from the Veteran's treating clinician.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of August 13, 2018, for the award of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted. The Veteran also meets the schedular criteria for entitlement to TDIU prior to June 1, 2023.
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