The Board has remanded the claims for left knee arthritis, left intraparotid facial nerve schwannoma, facial scars due to parotidectomy, basal cell carcinoma excision scar left cheek, and basal cell carcinoma excision scar left lower eye lid as a result of exposure to ionizing radiation. The issues are inextricably intertwined.
The deciding factor: The claims involve service connection for conditions allegedly related to exposure to ionizing radiation during military service, but the evidence is insufficient to determine whether the Veteran's conditions were caused or aggravated by such exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee arthritis, left intraparotid facial nerve schwannoma, facial scars due to parotidectomy, basal cell carcinoma excision scar left cheek, basal cell carcinoma excision scar left lower eye lid
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19130285
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 left knee arthritis, right knee arthritis, and tinnitus. The increased evaluation claim for pes planus was denied, as was the increase in rating for the right wrist fracture. The reduction of the right wrist rating from 10 percent to 0 percent was found improper, restoring the 10 percent rating.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the claims for bilateral hand, hip, knee, and lumbosacral arthritis to provide further development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee arthritis and right knee arthritis based on new and relevant evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate noncompensable rating for left knee arthritis based on limitation of extension from August 11, 2015 to June 18, 2020 and a 10 percent rating, but no higher, for the same condition from June 18, 2020 to January 6, 2021. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee arthritis from November 25, 2013 to January 6, 2021 was denied.
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