The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar paraspinal strain, left hip strain, right hip strain, left ankle sprain, right ankle sprain, numbness in the toes of the left foot and numbness in the toes of the right foot are reopened. The Board finds that VA examinations and medical opinions are necessary to determine whether these disabilities are related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's statements regarding persistent symptoms since service need to be evaluated by a VA examiner to determine if they are causally or etiologically related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar paraspinal strain, left hip strain, right hip strain, left ankle sprain, right ankle sprain, numbness in the toes of the left foot, numbness in the toes of the right foot
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19121612
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,797 · Granted: 20% (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 19121612.
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 Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right ankle disability, finding that it had its onset during service and is related to service. The decision was made after considering both lay and medical evidence.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for lumbosacral strain, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and left hip strain as secondary to lumbosacral strain have been granted. The claim for left hip strain is remanded due to insufficient evidence on whether it was caused or aggravated by the service-connected lumbosacral strain.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA-scheduled aid and attendance/housebound examination to determine eligibility for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and assistance due to his service-connected disabilities. The examiner must address specific questions regarding the Veteran's ability to perform daily activities, including dressing, feeding, attending to personal hygiene, protection from environmental hazards, and confinement.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several claims for further action, including effective date determinations and service connection determinations. The Veteran's service records from Portsmouth Naval Hospital are requested to be obtained.
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