The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, headaches, hepatitis C, and fatigue/malaise due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The claims for disabilities of the back, right shoulder, hips, knees, and ankles are inextricably intertwined with the claim for hepatitis C.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that remand is necessary to afford the Veteran VA examinations and obtain opinions on the nature and etiologies of the claims for hypertension, headaches, hepatitis C, and fatigue/malaise to cure the pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, headaches, hepatitis C, back disability (claimed as back pain), left ankle disability (claimed as left ankle pain and edema and left ankle arthritis), left hip disability (claimed as hip arthritis), left knee disability (claimed as left knee arthritis), right ankle disability (claimed as right ankle pain and edema and right ankle arthritis), right hip disability (claimed as hip arthritis), right knee disability (claimed as right knee arthritis), right shoulder disability (claimed as shoulder arthritis), fatigue (also claimed as malaise)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2019
- Citation
- A19000401
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 A19000401.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma but denied it for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
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