The Board has remanded the service connection claims for neck, back, hip, knee, and acquired psychiatric disorders due to incomplete records. The Veteran's STRs do not reflect injuries sustained in November 1996 during a rappelling exercise.
The deciding factor: Incomplete Service Treatment Records (STRs) do not confirm the Veteran's reported injuries from November 1996, leaving room for potential missing hospital records and other incomplete service records.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic left ankle sprain with chronic instability, Neck disability, Back disability, Left hip disability, Left knee disability, Migraine headaches, Bilateral hearing loss, Sleep apnea, Acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depressive disorder, and phobias)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2023
- Citation
- A23030995
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 A23030995.
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 a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between his current condition and active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
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