The Board has found a duty to assist error and remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sterility is secondary to his service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that infertility would be more expected than not, influenced by risk factors including age, history of alcohol use, and medical history. The Board determined a remand was necessary for further examination and opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's sterility and his service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- sterility
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2024
- Citation
- 24033144
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,549 · Granted: 29% (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 24033144.
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 remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed sterility, specifically related to his service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder. The case will be returned for further development and consideration.
- Dismissed
The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for sterility was withdrawn by the Veteran's representative and is therefore dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for sterility, to include as secondary to service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder for another VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for sterility, as there has not been substantial compliance with previous remand directives.
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.