The Veteran's claim for a right arm condition is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and the current disability is not related to service.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine is denied because the earliest communication prior to November 6, 2014 did not constitute a claim for this condition.,Service connection for bilateral feet disability and bilateral degenerative joint disease/arthritis of the knees secondary to service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine is remanded due to inadequate etiology opinions in the June 2015 VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine is remanded as the January 2015 VA Back Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire did not provide information on additional limitation of motion due to flare-ups or repeated use over time.,The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disability is remanded.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence linking the right arm condition to service, and the current disability is not related to service. The effective date cannot be earlier than November 6, 2014 as there was no prior communication constituting a claim for this condition.,The June 2015 VA examination did not provide an opinion on whether the bilateral feet disability and bilateral degenerative joint disease/arthritis of the knees are secondary to service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine. The opinions need to be updated based on current medical evidence.,The January 2015 VA Back Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire did not provide information on additional limitation of motion due to flare-ups or repeated use over time, which is necessary for a fully informed decision regarding an initial rating in excess of 40 percent. A new examination and retrospective opinion are needed.,There was no medical evidence provided by the June 2015 VA examination to support the Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disability. The remand allows for updated opinions based on current medical records.
- Claimed conditions
- Right arm condition, Lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine, Bilateral feet disability, Degenerative joint disease/arthritis of the knees
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19158243
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 19158243.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his right arm condition, bilateral knee pain, and bilateral foot pain.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a total disability rating for individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities and basic eligibility of Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits as of April 12, 2016.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right arm condition, and thus service connection for this condition is denied. The claims of entitlement to initial compensable evaluations for left fifth finger strain, an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for left fifth finger strain, and service connection for right hand strain, right fingers condition, and bilateral wrist conditions are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Granted
The Veteran's right wrist disability is granted service connection on a presumptive basis. The bilateral feet and nose disabilities are remanded for further examination, and the hearing loss of the right ear has been granted an initial compensable rating.
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