The Board has determined that the Veteran's service treatment records are incomplete and requests for these records have not been completed. The Veteran is also requested to provide any additional medical records from private providers, including Dr. Baldwin.
The deciding factor: Incomplete service treatment records and the need for further development of the record.
- Claimed conditions
- left leg shin splints, right leg shin splints, left shoulder strain, right shoulder strain, right elbow tendonitis, cervical strain, lower lumbar strain, left sciatica, right sciatica, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, left ankle strain, right ankle strain, left foot strain (also claimed as pes planus, plantar fasciitis, and left foot arthritis), right foot strain (also claimed as pes planus, plantar fasciitis, and right foot arthritis), allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, migraines
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2018
- Citation
- 18160065
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 18160065.
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 claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability, finding that it is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected back and sciatica disabilities. The evidence did not support a nexus between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
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