The Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to determine the current severity and etiology of the Veteran's disabilities, including his hand/fingers, elbows, knees, left shoulder, and back conditions. The claims have been remanded for these purposes.
The deciding factor: The prior examination conducted in October 2010 is inadequate as it did not address numerous instances of injuries documented in the Veteran’s service treatment records or his lay statements concerning pain in various body parts. Additionally, there are concerns about the adequacy and comprehensiveness of the October 2010 VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Hand/Fingers, Left Hand/Fingers, Right Elbow, Left Elbow, Right Knee, Left Knee, Left Shoulder, Lumbar Spine (including neuropathy)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19153919
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,092 · Granted: 42% (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 19153919.
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 service connection claims for various knee and back disabilities, as well as radiculopathy in the right lower extremity (RLE) and left lower extremity (LLE), have been granted. Service connection is also granted for a right hip disability secondary to his back disability.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates in several of his claims, including those related to TBI, left shoulder, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, posttraumatic migraine headaches, and TDIU. The issues have been remanded for further examination and evaluation.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities have been granted, with a rating of 30% for each knee. The Veteran is also entitled to special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities due to insufficient detail in the VA examination report. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to address whether he has subluxation, instability, or semilunar cartilage condition of either knee and what causes his reports of giving way.
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