The veteran's claim for nonservice connected pension based on permanent disability is remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations, particularly regarding possible psychiatric and cardiovascular disabilities.
The deciding factor: Additional medical records are needed to properly assess the veteran's ability to work given his various diagnosed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- right rotator cuff tear, right knee degenerative joint disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, bilateral cataracts, onychomycosis of the toenails
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 20, 2004
- Citation
- 0404874
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 0404874.
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 Board remands the Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his bilateral knee disabilities due to a need for an additional VA examination that addresses the level of functional impairment absent the beneficial effects of medication.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for right knee degenerative joint disease and left knee osteoarthritis, as he failed to appear for a scheduled VA examination without good cause.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome. The Board also denied an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric condition.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease and denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, to include depressive disorder. The increased rating claim for left hip flexion disability was also denied.
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