The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of right ankle, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities due to lack of evidence showing a relationship between these conditions and his military service.,The case is being remanded to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left ankle disability.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided do not address the etiology of the Veteran's left ankle disability, necessitating further examination and evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19193715
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 19193715.
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 Veteran's low back strain with pain and sacroiliitis with degenerative joint disease is currently rated at 20 percent, but the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and SMC were denied. The left knee disability, including instability with DJD and painful motion, was rated at 30 percent since 1946. A separate 10 percent rating was granted for painful motion of the left knee. Prior to December 30, 2019, a noncompensable rating was assigned for left knee scarring; from that date onwards, a 10 percent rating was granted.
- Granted
The Board granted a 40% disability rating for the Veteran's lumbar disability from April 18, 2013 to July 22, 2015. The rating was denied in excess of 40% for the period from April 18, 2013 to February 14, 2017 and granted a 50% disability rating starting from February 15, 2017.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective March 29, 2013. Service connection for a right knee scar was granted with an effective date of June 16, 2014. The Veteran's TDIU claim from January 11, 2011 to July 8, 2019 is granted.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.