The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for tinea pedis with onychomycosis, service connection for decompression sickness, acquired psychiatric disability, right shoulder disability, cardiac disability, and respiratory disability are being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for decompression sickness, acquired psychiatric disability, right shoulder disability, cardiac disability, and respiratory disability are being remanded due to inadequate VA examination reports.
The deciding factor: VA treatment records dated after June 29, 2020 were not associated with the claims file at the time of the February 2022 supplemental claim decision on appeal. The Board finds that it was a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error in not associating these records.,The VA examination reports for decompression sickness and acquired psychiatric disability are internally inconsistent, which is considered an inadequate examination. Therefore, remand is required to obtain addendum opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- tinea pedis with onychomycosis, decompression sickness, acquired psychiatric disability (including depression with insomnia), right shoulder impingement syndrome, cardiac disability (including severe chest pain and hypertensive heart disease), respiratory disability (including allergic rhinitis, recurrent pharyngitis, and sinusitis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2024
- Citation
- A24076819
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 A24076819.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The VA will obtain new opinions from different VA examiners to address whether the Veteran's conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service, including exposure during combat.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to January 31, 2023.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder, finding no evidence linking his current condition to military service or any service-connected disability.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal of the issue regarding radiculopathy of left lower extremity. The Veteran's degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis, right shoulder impingement syndrome, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity are all granted as secondary to service-connected conditions.
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.