The Veteran's claims for service connection for stiff person syndrome, lumbar strain, right and left ankle/leg disabilities, and left-sided facial pain are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.,A new VA examination is required to determine if these conditions were incurred during active service or are otherwise related to in-service events.
The deciding factor: The existing medical opinions do not provide sufficient clarity on whether the Veteran's claimed conditions preexisted her military service, and further evaluation is needed to address this issue.,Additional examination is required to determine if the Veteran has separate disabilities affecting her ankles/legs or left-sided facial pain that are related to active service.
- Claimed conditions
- Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), Lumbar Strain, Right Ankle and Leg Disability, Left Ankle and Leg Disability, Left Sided Facial Pain
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 13, 2024
- Citation
- 24007585
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 24007585.
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 generalized anxiety disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus are all granted service connection.,Service connection for GERD is also granted as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU from October 12, 2016 to November 12, 2018 and from January 1, 2019 to July 22, 2019 due to service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by heart failure, which the Board finds may be service-connected through secondary service connection due to obesity resulting from his service-connected PTSD and back disability. However, VA failed to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether obesity is a substantial factor in causing heart failure.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, lumbar strain, and right shoulder strain have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since October 17, 2018. TDIU is granted effective from that date.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.