The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to ensure that he is accorded full compliance with the statutory duty to assist. The AOJ must obtain SSA records and additional VA treatment records, and then readjudicate his claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the left ankle.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's appeal requires further development due to incomplete information from Social Security Administration (SSA) records and additional VA treatment records.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis of the left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 3, 2014
- Citation
- 1439150
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 1439150.
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 remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions in the original decision. The issues of service connection are being addressed.
- Denied
The Board denied a TDIU due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities not preventing him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to increased ratings for bilateral shin splints and ankle conditions due to a failure by the AOJ to consider the ameliorative effects of medications used to treat the Veteran's disabilities. The VA must provide adequate examinations that address the severity of her service-connected bilateral shin and ankle conditions, considering the ameliorative effects of any medication taken.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed as he withdrew his appeal with respect to all the issues.
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