The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including bilateral foot condition, respiratory disability (breathing problems), headaches, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, bilateral ankle disability, and sleep disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations or medical opinions.
The deciding factor: Additional evidence is needed to determine if there is a nexus between service and any of the Veteran's claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral foot condition, respiratory disability (breathing problems), headaches, lumbar spine disability (lower back pain), cervical spine disability (neck problems), bilateral ankle disability, sleep disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19101137
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an increased initial disability evaluation of headaches due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
- Dismissed
The appeals for restoration of ratings and for a higher disability rating were dismissed as the April 2025 rating decision did not make final decisions on these issues.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.