The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to May 16, 2006, for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) and eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The issues are inextricably intertwined as the TDIU claim is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected conditions prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation since November 1995, which led to the award of a TDIU effective May 16, 2006. The Board found sufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that the Veteran was unemployable by reason of his service-connected disabilities prior to this date.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus type II, tinea versicolor, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), right frontalis muscle weakness and hypoesthesia of right upper and lower face, headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2024
- Citation
- 24016052
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 24016052.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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