The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions regarding his throat disorder, right foot injury residuals, skin disorders of the feet, lumbar spine disability, and bilateral knee disabilities.,Specifically, a new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran has any current residuals from his in-service right tonsil abscess and lymphadenopathy. The examiner should also provide an opinion on whether his current right ankle disability had its onset during service or is otherwise related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that additional examinations are necessary due to the need for more specific medical opinions regarding the Veteran's throat disorder, right foot injury residuals, skin disorders of the feet, lumbar spine disability, and bilateral knee disabilities. The current evidence does not provide sufficient information on these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- Throat Disorder, Right Foot Injury Residuals, Skin Disorder of the Bilateral Feet, Lumbar Spine Disability, Bilateral Knee Disability
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18138984
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 18138984.
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 determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and bilateral knee disability must be remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran's reported stressors need to be verified, and a VA examination is required to address the etiology of his bilateral knee condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable prior to August 19, 2024 and at a 20% rating since that date.,The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated as 30% prior to December 1, 2022 and at a 40% rating since that date.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated as 20% prior to December 1, 2022 and at a 40% rating since that date.,The Veteran's left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy is rated as 10% prior to August 3, 2024 and at a 20% rating since that date.,The Veteran's right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy is rated as 10% prior to August 3, 2024 and at a 20% rating since that date.,The Veteran's left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy is rated as 20% since August 3, 2024.,The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated as 10% prior to August 27, 2024 and at a 20% rating since that date.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, and his left and right foot disabilities are each rated at 10 percent. The appeals for increased ratings have been denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims of increased ratings for Right Shoulder Disability and Lumbar Spine Disability due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding medication effects.
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