The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete service records and the need for further verification of his National Guard and Reserve service. The Veteran is also requested to provide additional evidence or information regarding his claimed disabilities.
The deciding factor: The case was remanded because the VA did not have complete service personnel records, including those from the Army National Guard of Puerto Rico and Army Reserve, which are necessary for proper adjudication of the claims.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle pain, left knee disability, right knee disability, bilateral hand scars, status post right ankle sprain (claimed as right ankle disability), paraspinal muscular spasm with discogenic disease at L5 S1 level (claimed as back disability), chest pain (spleen), left elbow disability, fracture of right middle finger, cervico brachial syndrome and muscle spasm, headache
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19184197
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 service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- 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).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right knee, right hip, and lumbar spine disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability but denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for his left knee disability prior to April 25, 2019.
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