The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of various disabilities, including bilateral knees, left wrist, low back, pinched nerves of upper extremities/neck, and hepatitis C are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The VA will conduct further examinations and provide a thorough opinion on the etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities, particularly in relation to service connection and exposure to herbicides or other potential causative factors.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee, Right Knee, Left Wrist, Low Back, Pinched Nerve of Left Upper Extremity/Neck, Pinched Nerve of Right Upper Extremity/Neck, Hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19129594
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 claim for a new VA addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's liver cancer and hepatitis C are related to his active service, including exposure to agent orange.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves, with effective dates from March 15, 2013. The Board also granted a TDIU and DEA based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and hepatitis C as there was no evidence of functional impairment sufficient to warrant a higher rating.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all claims for service connection and denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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