The Board remands the service connection claim for irritable bowel syndrome to schedule a new VA examination to address whether the condition is caused by or aggravated by post-traumatic stress disorder and/or burn pit exposure.
The deciding factor: A remand is necessary due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, as the August 2022 VA examination did not adequately assess functional impairment associated with the claimed IBS.
- Claimed conditions
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2024
- Citation
- A24067228
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 29, 2016 for the award of a 30 percent rating for irritable bowel syndrome.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is granted a 30 percent disability rating, but no higher. The claims for increased ratings and service connection for other conditions are denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches, and traumatic brain injury.
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