The Veteran's service connection claims for back disability, cervical spine disability, headache disability, gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD), bilateral knee disability, right ankle disability, and respiratory disability are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,The Veteran's service connection claim for cervical spine disability is being remanded as it may be related to his service-connected right shoulder strain. The claims for bilateral knee disability, right ankle disability, and gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD) are also being remanded as they may be secondary to his service-connected left ankle sprain with tendonitis.,The Veteran's service connection claim for headache disability is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The claims for back disability, cervical spine disability, gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD), bilateral knee disability, right ankle disability, and respiratory disability are also being remanded as they may be related to his exposure to environmental contaminants in Iraq.,The Veteran's service connection claim for gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD) is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The claims for back disability, cervical spine disability, headache disability, bilateral knee disability, right ankle disability, and respiratory disability are also being remanded as they may be related to his exposure to environmental contaminants in Iraq.,The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The claims for back disability, cervical spine disability, headache disability, gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD), right ankle disability, and respiratory disability are also being remanded as they may be related to his exposure to environmental contaminants in Iraq.,The Veteran's service connection claim for right ankle disability is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The claims for back disability, cervical spine disability, headache disability, gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD), bilateral knee disability, and respiratory disability are also being remanded as they may be related to his exposure to environmental contaminants in Iraq.,The Veteran's service connection claim for respiratory disability is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The claims for back disability, cervical spine disability, headache disability, gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD), bilateral knee disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle sprain with tendonitis are also being remanded as they may be related to his exposure to environmental contaminants in Iraq.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service connection claims for back disability, cervical spine disability, headache disability, gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD), bilateral knee disability, right ankle disability, and respiratory disability are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,The Veteran's service connection claim for cervical spine disability is being remanded as it may be related to his service-connected right shoulder strain. The claims for bilateral knee disability, right ankle disability, and gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD) are also being remanded as they may be secondary to his service-connected left ankle sprain with tendonitis.,The Veteran's service connection claim for headache disability is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The claims for back disability, cervical spine disability, gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD), bilateral knee disability, right ankle disability, and respiratory disability are also being remanded as they may be related to his exposure to environmental contaminants in Iraq.,The Veteran's service connection claim for gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD) is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The claims for back disability, cervical spine disability, headache disability, bilateral knee disability, right ankle disability, and respiratory disability are also being remanded as they may be related to his exposure to environmental contaminants in Iraq.,The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The claims for back disability, cervical spine disability, headache disability, gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD), right ankle disability, and respiratory disability are also being remanded as they may be related to his exposure to environmental contaminants in Iraq.,The Veteran's service connection claim for right ankle disability is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The claims for back disability, cervical spine disability, headache disability, gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD), bilateral knee disability, and respiratory disability are also being remanded as they may be related to his exposure to environmental contaminants in Iraq.,The Veteran's service connection claim for respiratory disability is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The claims for back disability, cervical spine disability, headache disability, gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD), bilateral knee disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle sprain with tendonitis are also being remanded as they may be related to his exposure to environmental contaminants in Iraq.
- Claimed conditions
- back disability, cervical spine disability, headache disability, gastrointestinal disability (including IBS and GERD), bilateral knee disability, right ankle disability, respiratory disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2019
- Citation
- 19182108
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claim for a bilateral knee disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, including scheduling an additional VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
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