The Board has remanded the Veteran's case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining additional records. The right ankle impairment claim is being addressed separately.
The deciding factor: The Veteran failed to report for a scheduled VA examination, which was necessary for determining the severity of his right ankle impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle impairment, Lower extremity radiculopathy, Degenerative disc disease and joint disease, lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19177166
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,454 · Granted: 23% (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 19177166.
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 Board granted a 100% evaluation for PTSD and awarded special monthly compensation, as well as service connection for bowel disabilities, lower extremity radiculopathy, headaches, and back disability. The decision also addressed the Veteran's request for TDIU.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability and associated lower extremity radiculopathy have precluded him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment since December 19, 2018.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a spine disability and lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities. The Veteran was also granted an increased rating of 30 percent for his scars.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, a back disability, lower extremity radiculopathy, and OSA are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The claims will be reviewed again with additional medical opinions.
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