Citation Nr: 18143570
Decision Date: 10/19/18	Archive Date: 10/19/18

DOCKET NO. 17-46 924
DATE:	October 19, 2018
REMANDED
Service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran had active duty service from April 1968 to March 1970.
This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a ¬¬¬¬¬¬January 2014 rating decision of the Cleveland, Ohio, Regional Office (RO).
Before the Veteran’s appeal was certified to the Board, on September 19, 2017, the Veteran was notified that the RO had received the Veteran’s withdrawal of the issue regarding peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities and bilateral lower extremities.  These issues were considered resolved and the appeal for these issues was closed.
A Statement of the Case was issued for the PTSD claim in August 2017.  Subsequently, the Veteran submitted new lay statements and VA treatment records relevant to his claim were associated with his claims file, to include an August 2018 VA examination for PTSD.  In August 2018, the Board sent the Veteran and his representative a letter asking whether they would waive agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) review of the new evidence.  In September 2019, the Veteran declined to waive AOJ review and requested that his claim be remanded to the AOJ for review of the additional evidence submitted in his appeal.  Therefore, remand of the issues on appeal is necessary.  See 38 C.F.R. §§ 19.37, 20.1304.
The case is REMANDED for the following action:
Readjudicate the issues on appeal.  If any benefit sought on appeal remains denied, the Veteran should be provided a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC).  An appropriate period should be allowed for response before the case is returned to the Board.
The Veteran has the right to submit additional evidence and argument on the matter or matters the Board has remanded.  Kutscherousky v. West, 12 Vet. App. 369 (1999).
This claim must be afforded expeditious treatment. The law requires that all claims that are remanded by the Board or by the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Court) for additional development or other appropriate action must be handled in an expeditious manner.  See 38 U.S.C. §§ 5109B, 7112 (2012).
 
Vito A. Clementi
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	Carolyn Colley, Associate Counsel