The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and the issuance of an SOC addressing his mood disorder claim.
The deciding factor: There is evidence suggesting a worsening of symptoms since January 2012, which warrants another VA examination to assess the current severity of his right knee, left knee, and right foot disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- mood disorder, chondromalacia of the right knee with degenerative joint disease, left knee strain with degenerative joint disease, right foot strain with degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2015
- Citation
- 1508577
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 1508577.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the Veteran's obesity, caused by her service-connected hypothyroidism, is an intermediate step between her service-connected condition and her current disability. The Board also found that her bilateral knee disabilities would not have occurred but for her obesity.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected mood disorder is rated at 70 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating. The Veteran also sought TDIU based on his mood disorder and anxiety, which was granted.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for asthma and a mood disorder, as well as TDIU benefits, have been dismissed due to the Veteran's passing during the appeal process.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found a pre-decisional duty to assist error and remands the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination.
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