The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to a lack of proper notice and scheduling of VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The AOJ failed to ensure and document that the Veteran was properly notified of scheduled VA examinations, constituting a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Acne, Low back disorder, COVID-19, Acquired psychiatric disorder, to include memory loss, anxiety condition and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Bilateral foot disorder, claimed as foot pain, Hair loss, Headache disorder, Hemorrhoids, Left ankle disorder, Left arm disorder, Left elbow disorder, Left shin splints, Left wrist disorder, Neck disorder, Skin disorder, to include pseudofolliculitis barbae, Right ankle disorder, Right arm disorder, Right knee disorder, Right shin splints, Left shoulder disorder, Sleep apnea, Loss of sense of smell
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25028158
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,011 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A25028158.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
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