The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, right knee, and left knee disorders. The case is being remanded to obtain an addendum opinion from the examiner who conducted the July 2018 VA knees and spine examinations.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that additional evidence is needed as per the July 2018 VA examination reports with a September 2019 addendum, which did not provide rationale for the aggravation opinion. The case is being remanded to obtain an addendum opinion from the examiner who conducted the July 2018 VA knees and spine examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20000481
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 appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and bilateral cataracts of the eyes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, type II, migraines, left and right knee disorders, and obstructive sleep apnea due to missing military records and inadequate examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for an increased rating for the left shoulder disorder, service connection for a cervical spine disorder, service connection for a right arm disorder, and service connection for a left arm disorder.
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