The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding whether his current left knee and foot disabilities were caused or aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not consider whether the right knee disability made the Veteran more susceptible to the left knee injury he sustained in 1988, which is necessary to determine if there is a causal relationship between the service-connected and non-service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint disease of the left knee, left foot disability
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 25, 2011
- Citation
- 1103080
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 1103080.
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 Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, but his service-connected persistent depressive disorder alone rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted SMC at the housebound rate.
- Granted
The Veteran's left foot disability and anxiety disorder render him in need of regular aid and attendance due to his physical limitations and cognitive impairments, which require assistance from another person.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple disabilities, including neck, back, left foot, left knee, right knee, right foot, and right shoulder disabilities. The Board found insufficient evidence to support presumptive or secondary service connection.
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