The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression), PTSD, a back condition, high blood pressure, a hip condition, a left knee condition, skin cancer of the right arm, and sciatica are remanded due to failure to conduct VA examinations as scheduled.
The deciding factor: The Veteran failed to attend scheduled VA examinations for his claimed conditions, resulting in a pre-decisional duty-to-assist (DTA) error. The claims must be remanded for additional development.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression), Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Back condition, High blood pressure, Hip condition, Left knee condition, Skin cancer of the right arm, Sciatica
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 10, 2024
- Citation
- A24065035
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,548 · 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 A24065035.
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 is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for high blood pressure and a low back disability, finding that the evidence does not support a link between these conditions and active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has identified a contradiction in the AOJ's determinations regarding the Veteran's need for aid and assistance, which requires clarification. The remanded issues are entitlement to SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another and on the basis of statutory housebound status.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for higher disability ratings in excess of 20 percent for cervical spine and lumbar spine conditions, left knee condition, right knee condition, and sinusitis. The Veteran was granted service connection for chronic laryngeal papillomatosis.
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