The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back, neck, left and right knee, and left and right hand conditions are remanded due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA opinion.
The deciding factor: The July 2018 VA examiner did not address whether the Veteran’s service-connected hepatitis C and/or cirrhosis have aggravated these conditions. An additional VA examination is needed to evaluate their etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- low back condition, neck condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, left hand condition, right hand condition
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19196308
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 19196308.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to untimely filing of the Board Appeal requests.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for allergic rhinitis and lumbosacral or cervical strain was dismissed due to untimeliness, while the other issues were remanded for further evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right and left knee conditions, denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, and denied special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a lower extremity.
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