The Veteran's claim for residuals of a rib cage fracture has been denied as there is no current diagnosis or other competent finding of a current disorder.,The Veteran's hiatal hernia has been granted an increased rating to 30 percent, but the case is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology and severity.,The Veteran's left knee disorder, right knee disorder, cervical spine degenerative disc disease (neck), and degenerative arthritis of the spine (back) have all been remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's residuals of a right foot fracture has also been remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's migraines have been remanded for an updated VA examination to assess their current severity.
The deciding factor: Service connection requires evidence of a current disability, in-service injury or disease, and a link between the two. The Veteran does not meet this burden as there is no current diagnosis of rib cage fracture.,The increased rating for hiatal hernia was granted based on symptoms consistent with 30 percent criteria but remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology and severity.,For left knee, right knee, cervical spine degenerative disc disease (neck), and degenerative arthritis of the spine (back) claims, additional examination is needed as the VA examiner did not address in-service complaints or provide a reasoned rationale for their opinions.,The Veteran's residuals of a right foot fracture claim was remanded due to lack of an examination. The Veteran has continued to experience right foot pain since service and this needs to be evaluated further.,For migraines, the Veteran reported more frequent attacks but not prostrating episodes. An updated VA examination is needed to assess current severity.
- Claimed conditions
- Rib Cage Fracture, Hiatal Hernia, Left Knee Disorder, Right Knee Disorder, Cervical Spine Degenerative Disc Disease (Neck), Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine (Back), Right Foot Fracture, Migraines
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 28, 2018
- Citation
- 18114622
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 18114622.
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 Veteran's initial evaluation for tension headaches to include migraines is granted, with a rating of 50 percent effective from May 23, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for tension and migraine headaches is remanded due to the inadequacy of the September 2020 VA examination report, which did not consider the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder is related to his military service and grants entitlement to service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his migraine headaches was denied as the evidence did not show that his migraines were productive of severe economic inadaptability.
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