The Board has remanded the cases for a new VA examination to assess the current level of severity and functional impairment of the service-connected cervical spine strain and left knee strain disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner was unable to provide an adequate opinion regarding additional limitation of motion during flare-ups due to lack of information about the frequency, duration, characteristics, severity, or functional loss of flare-ups in the cervical spine and left knee.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine strain, Left knee strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19175878
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, while remanding claims for depression, anxiety, sleep disorder, right knee strain, left knee strain, and lumbar spine strain.
- Granted
The Board granted increased 20 percent disability ratings for the back, right knee, and left knee disabilities but denied a higher rating for bilateral pes planus and a compensable rating for the right anterior knee scar.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right knee strain, left knee strain, and left ankle strain but denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the service-connected injury to flexors (Group VII) of fingers/thumb, an initial compensable rating for recurrent bronchitis, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and related knee and shoulder strains as there was no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active duty service.
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