The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for left shoulder impingement, low back condition, left knee condition, dry eye syndrome, restrictive airway disease, and hiatal hernia should be remanded due to a lack of in-service complaints or treatment. The Veteran was not afforded an opportunity for a VA examination as his service records show complaints and treatments for each disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's service records showed complaints and treatments for each disability, indicating persistent symptoms since service.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder impingement, low back condition, left knee condition, dry eye syndrome, restrictive airway disease, hiatal hernia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2018
- Citation
- 18157395
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 18157395.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal of entitlement to service connection for dry eye syndrome claimed as visual impairment, including blurry vision, blindness, double vision due to procedural error. The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied because there is no evidence of a current diagnosis of sleep apnea.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for OSA is denied as his sleep apnea has not been manifested by persistent daytime hypersomnolence or required use of a breathing assistance device such as a CPAP machine.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for dry eye syndrome and an increased rating for left knee disability are remanded due to procedural errors in the adjudication process.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of his low back condition, finding that it is related to his military service.
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