The Board has remanded the cases for additional examinations and opinions to determine if the Veteran's knee replacements and sleep apnea are related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examination did not adequately consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms and treatment, and there is insufficient evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and service.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee replacement, left knee replacement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19170131
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 19170131.
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 was eligible for beneficiary travel benefits to attend a VA medical appointment on March 16, 2021 due to his service-connected conditions. The Board found that the nearest available clinic provided the required care and that the Veteran's statements were credible and consistent with the evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and accrued benefits due to procedural issues, as the appeals were not within the modernized review system.
- Granted
The Veteran's right knee replacement and left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis have been granted service connection, with the Board finding that there is at least a 50% likelihood that these conditions are related to his military service.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal because it was not timely filed, and no good cause for delay was provided.
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