The Veteran's initial disability ratings for several service-connected conditions are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations and treatment records.
The deciding factor: The current evidence is outdated, necessitating new evaluations by VA examiners to assess the current severity of the Veteran’s disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the right knee, Left elbow arthropathy with periarticular osteophytes involving olecranon and possible distal humerus with deformity of proximal humeral head, Degenerative arthritis of the right hip, Degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, Degenerative joint disease of the thoracic spine, Residuals of recurrent inversion sprains with peroneal tendon complex dysfunction associated with pes cavus foot construct of the left foot, Residual scar of the right hip, Multiple concussions with traumatic brain injury (TBI), Left ulnar neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 28, 2019
- Citation
- 19114687
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,890 · Granted: 32% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19114687.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's right and left knee braces caused wear and tear to his clothing in the year of 2021, leading to a decision granting annual clothing allowances for both knee braces.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examiner's opinion regarding service connection for degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine is incomplete and requires further clarification. The case is being remanded to obtain an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's current condition is related to his military service, including two claimed inservice collision injuries.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Degenerative Joint Disease of the Right Knee as secondary to a service-connected left knee disability, but has remanded the claim for Lumbar Spine Disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to inconsistencies in the January 2022 VA examination reports and a need for clarification regarding the Veteran's intent when filing his Notice of Disagreement. The AOJ is directed to schedule new examinations, obtain retrospective medical opinions, and clarify the severity of the Veteran's disabilities during the relevant period on appeal.
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