The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a rating increase and service connection due to new evidence of worsening left knee condition and the need for additional medical opinions regarding his autoimmune disorder.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for updated assessments and additional medical opinions to address the current functional limitations and etiology of the Veteran's conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee arthroplasty, autoimmune disorder (rheumatoid arthritis or Sjogren’s syndrome)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19193845
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 19193845.
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 a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee osteoarthritis and prior to June 25, 2018, for left knee arthroplasty.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU as there was no evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim for his service-connected disabilities is granted. The extension of a 100% evaluation beyond April 1, 2018 for total left knee arthroplasty is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral knee disabilities, including arthritis and arthroplasties. The remand requires obtaining personnel records and a medical opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's knee conditions.
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