The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded due to the need to obtain post-service treatment records from the Department of Defense.
The deciding factor: VA failed to ensure reasonable efforts were made to obtain relevant Federal department records, specifically those from Tinker Air Force Base.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Limitation of Motion, Left Knee Extension Laxity, Thoracolumbar Strain, Hemorrhoidectomy Residuals
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18160348
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 18160348.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right knee dislocated semi-lunar cartilage is denied as he has the maximum allowed rating. The claims for higher ratings of his right and left knee disabilities are remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating higher than 20 percent for right knee limitation of motion but granted a separate 10 percent rating, but no higher, for right knee instability.
- Denied
The Board denied entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 as the Veteran did not meet the required criteria for a continuous total disability rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The decision concludes that the Veteran's sleep apnea is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and musculoskeletal conditions.
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.