The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected mechanical low back pain and residuals of a bursectomy of the right ankle are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports, conflicting medical evidence regarding diagnoses, and need for clarification on secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not meet the requirements set forth in Correia v. McDonald (2016) and there is conflicting medical evidence regarding the Veteran's right ankle ulcer diagnosis and its relationship to his bursectomy site.
- Claimed conditions
- Mechanical Low Back Pain, Residuals of Bursectomy of Right Ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2018
- Citation
- 1802705
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 1802705.
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.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the previously denied claims for PTSD, mechanical low back pain, arthritis, and left hand injury. However, further development is needed as new VA examinations are required to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him.
- Granted
The Board found that the evidence was at least in equipoise, granting service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to his motor vehicle accident caused by medications taken for his service-connected anxiety disorder.
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