The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing an addendum opinion from the VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's chronic joint pain is caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide a causation opinion in the March 2016 examination report. The Board requires such an opinion to be provided as it cannot be determined without resorting to speculation.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic joint pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 29, 2016
- Citation
- 1648504
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 1648504.
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 denied service connection for chronic joint pain and insomnia, but has remanded the claims of left hip strain, right hip strain, and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine due to a duty to assist error.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because the request to extend time to file an appeal was denied, and no good cause was shown for the late filing.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, hypertension, traumatic brain injury (TBI), chronic joint pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), sleep apnea, and a gastrointestinal disability, claimed as gastrointestinal signs and symptoms (IBS).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability and chronic joint pain due to an inadequate VA medical opinion.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.