The Veteran's claims for a separate initial compensable rating for ischemic changes of the brain, service connection for right knee disability, bilateral shoulder disabilities, right wrist DJD and CTS disabilities, and headache disability are all remanded due to insufficient evidence.,VA examinations are needed in each case to address the lay evidence provided by the Veteran regarding his in-service falls and subsequent falls after separation.
The deciding factor: The current medical records do not provide sufficient information to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, particularly given his history of multiple falls both during service and post-service.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic changes of the brain, Right knee disability, Bilateral shoulder disabilities, Right wrist degenerative joint disease (DJD), Right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), Headache disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19178821
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 chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the claims for an initial compensable rating for left ear sensorineural hearing loss, service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability, and a left eye disorder. However, it granted service connection for a back disability and radiculopathy of both lower extremities as secondary to the back disability.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for various disabilities and granted earlier effective dates for service connection of scars, but denied an earlier effective date for individual unemployability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a separate 50 percent initial rating for insomnia as secondary to tinnitus, and denied an increased rating for tinnitus. The Board also granted service connection for headache disability, low back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, cervical spine disability, and right upper extremity radiculopathy.
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