The Veteran's effective date for DEA benefits is granted as of February 10, 2014.,The Veteran's TDIU claim and increased rating claim for a right knee disability are denied prior to February 10, 2014.,The Veteran’s right knee replacement on an extraschedular basis is remanded for further review.
The deciding factor: The effective date of DEA benefits was granted based on the Veteran's permanent total service-connected disability as of September 28, 2017. The Board found that February 10, 2014, was a more appropriate effective date for DEA benefits.,The TDIU claim and increased rating claim were denied prior to February 10, 2014, because the Veteran did not submit claims earlier than February 10, 2014. The Board found that the right knee disability is the primary cause of the Veteran's unemployability.,The right knee replacement on an extraschedular basis was remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in obtaining an October 2014 VA examination report.
- Claimed conditions
- ischiorectal fistula, right knee disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 17, 2019
- Citation
- A19001369
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 A19001369.
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 Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for shin splints, right knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), stomach disability, and left ear hearing loss due to errors in providing notice of the right to a hearing.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and denied the claims for right knee disability, erectile dysfunction, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The decision is remanded for further action on these issues.
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