The claim for service connection of bilateral knee disability and lumbar degenerative disc disease is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a VA examination.
The deciding factor: New evidence has been submitted that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims, but further evaluation is needed as there are gaps in the record regarding the current diagnoses and their relation to service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee disability, lumbar degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19187629
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 service connection claim for a bilateral knee disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, including scheduling an additional VA examination.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and chronic pain syndrome due to untimely notices of disagreement.
- Granted
The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the claimant.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chest pain, a gastrointestinal disability, a neck disability, and a bilateral knee disability. The Veteran was also denied a compensable rating for iliotibial band syndrome of the right hip and for right hip limitation of extension.
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