The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for osteoarthritis, right knee and residual left-hand injury due to incomplete medical records and lack of an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of his knee disability. The Veteran is also required to provide VA with any relevant private medical records.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there were missing or incomplete records which could affect the determination of service connection, particularly for the right knee disability due to a motorcycle accident during service and the left hand injury during ACDUTRA in 1978. The Veteran's statements and lay evidence regarding his injuries are also considered.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteoarthritis, right knee, Residual left-hand injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18108984
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 18108984.
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 remands the claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II and prostate cancer, service connection for osteoarthritis of both knees, pseudophakia (claimed as vision), and entitlement to TDIU due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD was denied, and his TDIU claim from September 7, 2016 was granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim that the August 6, 2014 rating decision was clearly and unmistakably erroneous. The correct combined rating of 40 percent for service-connected osteoarthritis, right knee was calculated based on VA regulations.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for osteoarthritis, right knee, status post right leg fracture with ORIF surgery was denied. A separate 10 percent rating was granted for slight instability of the right knee.
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.