The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee strain and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities have been reopened. The Board has remanded these issues due to insufficient evidence. Service connection is denied for a higher evaluation for chronic lumbosacral strain, cervical radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, and other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, somatic symptom disorder, sleep disorder.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected lumbar strain does not cause his diagnosed radiculopathy. The evidence does not establish a direct link between the current radiculopathy and active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee strain, radiculopathy of bilateral lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19101209
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for bronchial asthma, bilateral knee strain, and lumbosacral strain due to a procedural defect in docketing.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches and denied a higher rating for allergic rhinitis, while remanding the remaining claims.
- Dismissed
The appeal concerning entitlement to service connection for bilateral shoulder strain, bilateral shin splints, cervical strain, bilateral knee strain, and bilateral flat feet (pes planus) is dismissed.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral knee strain, atrial fibrillation (heart condition), hypertension, and tinnitus based on evidence supporting the claims.
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