The Veteran's claims for anxiety disorder, myofascial pain syndrome of the thoracolumbar spine, left foot condition, and PFB have been reopened due to new and material evidence. However, these claims remain pending as they are remanded for further development.,Service connection has not yet been established for any of the conditions listed above.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records are missing, making it difficult to establish a direct link between his current diagnoses and service. The Board finds that additional medical examination is needed to determine if there is a relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Anxiety Disorder (previously claimed Depression), Myofascial Pain Syndrome of the Thoracolumbar Spine, Left Foot Condition, to include Left Ankle Injury, Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2024
- Citation
- 24000252
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,893 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24000252.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal to revise the effective date for a 50% disability rating for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) is dismissed because the July 2024 proposed rating decision was not an appealable determination.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for PFB is denied as the condition did not manifest through scarring or disfigurement during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection of chronic fatigue syndrome and vertigo are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The PFB claim is denied as the disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
- Granted
Service connection for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) is granted. The appeal of a deferral of service connection for PFB is dismissed.
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