The Board has denied service connection for hepatitis C, thoracolumbar spine disorder, left and right lower extremity sciatica, and a psychiatric disorder. The case is being remanded to obtain a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current psychiatric condition is related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence or argument to establish a direct relationship between his current conditions and military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatitis C (blood transfusion), Thoracolumbar spine disorder, Neurological disorder of the left lower extremity (claimed as sciatica), to include as secondary to thoracolumbar spine disorder, Neurological disorder of the right lower extremity (claimed as sciatica), to include as secondary to thoracolumbar spine disorder, Psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder, insomnia, cocaine abuse, alcohol abuse, and cannabis abuse disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 3, 2023
- Citation
- 23059474
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 23059474.
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 determined that the initial ratings assigned for psoriatic arthritis of the upper and lower extremities, as well as service connection for a cervical spine disorder, need to be remanded due to incomplete evidence. The Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ADT) and inactive duty for training (IDT) must be confirmed, and all relevant medical records should be obtained.
- Denied
The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disorder is rated at 20 percent prior to September 9, 2020 and 20 percent thereafter. The rating for GERD remains at 10 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for thoracolumbar spine disorder, right lower extremity and left lower extremity neurological disorders, and hypertension due to potential in-service exposure. The AOJ is required to develop these issues further.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to an evaluation for a thoracolumbar spine disorder and service connection for a psychiatric disorder, which may be related to the Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.
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