The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and an opinion regarding the impact of his service-connected conditions on his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: Further development is needed to determine if the veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- postoperative residuals of excision of nucleus pulposus, clinical right L4, left S1 radiculopathy, fracture of the 1st metacarpal near wrist area of the right thumb, fracture of the left 5th finger, recurrent pterygium of the right eye, inactive postoperative left eye, perforation of the tympanic membrane
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2008
- Citation
- 0806416
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 0806416.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate rating of 10 percent for chronic suppurative otitis media and a noncompensable rating for a perforation of the tympanic membrane, while denying an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for otitis externa.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination or opinion to determine if the Veteran's vertigo was aggravated by her service-connected left ear hearing loss, left ear tympanic membrane perforation, or any other service-connected disability.
- Granted
The Board has found the evidence currently of record sufficient to establish the appellant's entitlement to the benefit sought on appeal and therefore, service connection for vertigo (claimed as dizziness) is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional records to be associated with his medical and claims files. The VAMC must locate and associate all relevant evidence, including private medical opinions and denials of his request for a full-size foam mattress.
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