The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain STRs and VA treatment records, as well as for new medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed right hand condition, right shoulder disorder, back disorder, knee disorders, ankle disorders, and leg disorders.
The deciding factor: The decision notes that the Veteran's STRs are incomplete and requests additional records to be obtained. It also requires a new VA examination for each issue on appeal to determine if there is a current diagnosis of any claimed condition or if the Veteran’s pain rises to the level of functional impairment in line with Saunders v. Wilkie.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Hand Condition, Left Hand Condition, Right Shoulder Disorder, Back Disorder, Right Knee Disorder, Left Knee Disorder, Right Ankle Disorder, Left Ankle Disorder, Right Leg Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19193514
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19193514.
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 claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a back disorder, and a gynecological disorder to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for multiple service-connected conditions and denied service connection for several additional conditions, including tinnitus, chronic sinusitis, left sciatic radicular pain of the left leg, traumatic brain injury (TBI), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic fatigue syndrome, and a back disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded issues related to service connection for knee and lumbar spine disorders.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disorder and a gastrointestinal disorder, as the evidence did not support current diagnoses or functional impairments related to these conditions during or approximate to the pendency of the claims.
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