The Veteran's claims for PTSD due to military sexual trauma and a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD are remanded as the VA examinations did not consider his in-service misconduct.,The Veteran's claim for TBI residuals is remanded as there was no determination of whether he had an in-service TBI, and tinnitus, headaches, and fatigue may be related to this condition.,The Veteran's claims for cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, left foot disorder, and right foot disorder are remanded as the VA examinations did not consider his reported in-service injuries.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not take into account the Veteran's in-service misconduct which may have impacted his current diagnoses.,There was no determination of whether the Veteran had an in-service TBI, and tinnitus, headaches, and fatigue may be related to this condition.,The VA examinations did not consider the Veteran's reported in-service injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) residuals, Diffuse pain disorder, to include fibromyalgia, Chronic headache disorder, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Cervical spine disorder, Lumbar spine disorder, Left ankle disorder, Right ankle disorder, Left foot disorder, Right foot disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2023
- Citation
- 23053205
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 23053205.
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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