The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed disabilities, particularly those related to asbestos exposure and service treatment records.
The deciding factor: Insufficient medical opinions were provided regarding the likely etiology of the Veteran’s claimed disorders, including a lack of an opinion on the relationship between current diagnoses and service.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracolumbar spine disorder, Cervical spine disorder, Right shoulder disorder, Left shoulder disorder, Right knee disorder, Left knee disorder, Sinus disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19175983
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for annual clothing allowances for a left knee sleeve, A&D ointment, hydrocortisone cream, and incontinence briefs due to lack of service connection or evidence that these items cause irreparable damage to outer garments.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and neuropathy of the extremities due to in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The claims for a sinus disorder and facial skin disorder were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an increased rating for allergic rhinitis and remanded the claims for cervical spine, hip, thigh, and hip extension disorders for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right knee disorder, and a lumbar spine disorder.
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