The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims due to missing documents in his electronic claims file. The AOJ is required to locate and upload any missing documentation, including a March 2003 rating decision, VA Form 21-4138 received January 28, 2008, claim to reopen filed on February 26, 2010; a March 7, 1978 treatment record from Herbert Thomas Hospital; a VA Medical Center Shreveport treatment record from September 15, 2006; a letter of inquiry from Senator Landrieu, and a newspaper article entitled 'VA Vows to End Backlog.'
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's electronic claims file is missing several documents which are necessary for a complete review of his claims.
- Claimed conditions
- sinusitis, back disability, nose injury, right knee disability, depression, headaches/concussion, peptic ulcer disease, left ear hearing loss, seizure disorder, tapeworm, condition causing costochondral pain, left leg scar
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19133891
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,549 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19133891.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for onychomycosis was denied as the condition did not require treatment and covered less than 5% of his body. The Board also remanded issues regarding service connection for left ear hearing loss and entitlement to a compensable disability rating for right ear hearing loss.
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