The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error in the July 2021 rating decision and remanded for further development, including obtaining an adequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's urinary incontinence.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions did not provide clear and unmistakable evidence that the Veteran does not have a current disability or an adequate rationale as to whether the urinary incontinence is related to his service-connected lumbar spine or psychiatric disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Urinary Incontinence
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2024
- Citation
- A24086937
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 A24086937.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date, a higher rating for urinary incontinence, and a higher rating for lumbar spine disability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence, and granted an initial 10 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy from December 1, 2007, through February 11, 2020.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance but denied for housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for urinary incontinence and rectal dysfunction, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
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