The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for ankle and knee disabilities, finding that a new VA examination is needed to address the nature and etiology of his disabilities.
The deciding factor: The July 2013 medical opinion was inadequate as it did not consider the Veteran’s lay statements regarding the etiology of his disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Left ankle disability","diagnosis":"Degenerative arthritis of the left ankle"}, {"condition_name":"Right ankle disability","diagnosis":"Not specified in the text, presumed secondary to left ankle disability and service-connected bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities"}, {"condition_name":"Left knee disability","diagnosis":"Not specified in the text, presumed secondary to left ankle disability and service-connected bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities"}, {"condition_name":"Right knee disability","diagnosis":"Not specified in the text, presumed secondary to left ankle disability and service-connected bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities"}
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19178303
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 granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for anxiety but denied it for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea was less likely than not related to his active service or service-connected acquired psychiatric condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches as proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.
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