The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bowel disorder, claimed as diarrhea, digestive disorder, and irritable bowel syndrome is remanded.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are remanded.
The deciding factor: The current evidence does not provide sufficient information to determine if the Veteran's PTSD symptoms warrant a higher evaluation than the currently assigned 50 percent rating.,The VA examiner failed to discuss in-service findings of diarrhea as well as provided no rationale for his conclusions that the Veteran's bowel disorder is not due to Gulf War undiagnosed illness and is not a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness. The claim must be remanded for an adequate VA medical examination and opinion.,The current evidence does not provide sufficient information to determine if the Veteran's hip or knee disorders are related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bowel disorder, Right hip disorder, Left hip disorder, Right knee disorder, Left knee disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 19, 2023
- Citation
- 23066740
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 23066740.
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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