The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain medical records from UCSD Hillcrest Hospital regarding her high-risk pregnancy and subsequent complications, including bedrest due to leaking amniotic fluid and an emergency c-section at 27 weeks. The Board will then determine if the Veteran's inability to attend school or work was due to a physical or mental disability.
The deciding factor: The decision is remanded because the Board found a pre-decisional duty to assist error occurred in not obtaining relevant medical records from UCSD Hillcrest Hospital, which could provide evidence of the Veteran's physical and/or mental disabilities during her pregnancy and post-pregnancy complications.
- Claimed conditions
- high-risk pregnancy, leaking amniotic fluid, emergency c-section
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 19, 2024
- Citation
- A24047841
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 A24047841.
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
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