The Board has determined that additional development is required to determine the nature and etiology of any currently present left shoulder, bilateral knee, bilateral ankle, and gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) disabilities. The Veteran's service records are unavailable for the period of August 1985 to May 1988, which may affect the determination of his claims.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the development conducted does not adequately comply with the remand directives and requires additional VA examinations and medical opinions to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19100763
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 Board remands the service connection claim for a bilateral knee disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, including scheduling an additional VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and chronic pain syndrome due to untimely notices of disagreement.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and a right hip disability, and granted a 30 percent rating for ureterolithiasis. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD was denied, while other claims were remanded.
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