The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The absence of service medical records does not preclude a grant of service connection if in-service manifestations can be shown by other records or lay statements.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of rib removal
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 24, 2004
- Citation
- 0423216
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 0423216.
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 has dismissed the appeal for diabetes mellitus and remanded the claim to reopen a previously denied rib condition. The Veteran's rib condition, including contusion and removal residuals, is being remanded for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection of residuals of rib removal has been reopened, but the claim is still denied as there are no records available to confirm the in-service rib removal surgery.
- Denied
The Board has determined that there is no objective medical evidence to support the veteran's account of rib removal during service, and thus his claim for service connection for residuals of rib removal is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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