The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and a need for further review by a VA physician regarding whether any of the veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: Incomplete medical records and the need for a VA physician's opinion on the cause of death are preventing a determination on the merits.
- Claimed conditions
- right foot cold injury residuals, left foot cold injury residuals, residuals of cartilage removal from the left knee, traumatic arthritis of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2003
- Citation
- 0331560
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 0331560.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for left foot cold injury residuals was dismissed due to the untimely filing of the Board Appeal request.
- Partly granted
The Board granted restoration of the 30 percent evaluation for left foot cold injury residuals effective March 1, 2023, and service connection for a left ankle/foot disorder, diagnosed as left foot ganglion cyst.
- Dismissed
The appeal for an earlier effective date for left foot cold injury residuals and peripheral neuropathy was dismissed due to the concurrent election of review requests.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board vacated its previous decision and will re-adjudicate the appeals. The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied based on the evidence available at the time of the May 2019 rating decision.
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.