The Veteran's initial claim for tension headaches was denied, and the AOJ assigned a non-compensable rating. The Board is remanding this issue.,The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder was initially rated at 10%, but evidence suggests it may be more severe. The AOJ should schedule an updated examination to assess severity before assigning any new rating.,The Veteran's right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain was initially rated at 10%. The AOJ should schedule another examination to correct the pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding functional loss and pain assessment.,The Veteran's supraventricular arrhythmia (sinus bradycardia) was initially rated as asymptomatic. The AOJ should schedule a heart examination to clarify whether exercise-based METs testing is medically contraindicated or available for accurate assessment of the disability.,The Veteran's pectus excavatum, status post chest wall reconstruction, was initially assigned a non-compensable rating due to its asymptomatic nature and pre-service percentage being zero. The AOJ should schedule another examination to correct any duty to assist errors.
The deciding factor: There are inconsistencies in the evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's conditions, particularly for his unspecified depressive disorder, right ankle sprain, supraventricular arrhythmia, and pectus excavatum. The AOJ needs to schedule additional examinations or assessments to clarify these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- Tension Headaches, Unspecified Depressive Disorder, Right Ankle Lateral Collateral Ligament Sprain, Supraventricular Arrhythmia (Sinus Bradycardia), Pectus Excavatum, Status Post Chest Wall Reconstruction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2024
- Citation
- A24071925
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,890 · Granted: 32% (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 A24071925.
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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The Veteran's PTSD, OCD, GAD, and unspecified depressive disorder are rated at 70 percent disabling. The appeal for increased ratings is denied.
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- Granted
The Veteran is granted SMC at the rate of 50% for his service-connected conditions from April 20, 2020 to June 7, 2021.
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