The Board has remanded the issues of increased ratings for right clavicle/scapula impairment, left knee osteoarthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis with meniscus tear. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service connected disabilities (right shoulder degenerative joint disease, bilateral knee osteoarthritis, and right clavicle/scapula impairment) have significantly impacted his ability to perform the physical demands necessary for substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Right clavicle/scapula impairment, Right shoulder degenerative joint disease, Left knee osteoarthritis, Right knee osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19153604
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (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 19153604.
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 Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right knee instability is granted, with a 30 percent rating. The claims for increased ratings for right knee osteoarthritis (flexion) and left hip strain, osteoarthritis and bursitis based on painful motion are denied. The claim for an increased rating for right ankle osteoarthritis is also denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the right knee and left knee, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. The issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded due to potential toxic exposure in service.
- Granted
The Veteran's right knee meniscal tear with osteoarthritis rating was restored to 40%, and an effective date of July 26, 2013, for SMC based on need for aid and attendance was granted. The intermediate rate SMC effective date also aligns with this date.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee condition is etiologically related to service and grants service connection for this disability.
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