The Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral shoulder, hip, and foot disabilities. The Veteran is also being asked to provide an examination to assess the severity of his service-connected degenerative arthritis and IVDS of the thoracolumbar spine.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current opinions are inadequate due to a lack of consideration of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as the incorrect application of the evidentiary standard for pre-existing conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of the Left Foot with Four Joints Missing, Arthritis of the Right Foot with Four Joints Missing, Degenerative Arthritis and IVDS of the Thoracolumbar Spine, Left Hip Condition with Arthritis, Left Shoulder Condition with Arthritis, Right Hip Condition with Arthritis, Right Shoulder Condition with Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19137851
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,156 · Granted: 29% (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 19137851.
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
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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