The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to lack of recent VA examinations and the Veteran's assertion that his conditions have worsened.
The deciding factor: The Veteran requested a hearing but failed to appear, so their request is considered withdrawn. The Board finds additional development needed as the last VA examination was conducted over 8 years ago.
- Claimed conditions
- multi-level osteoarthritis and DDD of the lumbosacral spine, epidermatophytosis, bilateral feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20001098
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 withdrew the appeal for service connection claims related to bilateral knees, bilateral feet, tinnitus, OSA, acquired psychiatric disability, and pilonidal cyst.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's bilateral feet and cold weather injury joint aches, finding no evidence that these conditions were related to military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions due to an incomplete record and the need for additional development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of a rating in excess of 20 percent for gout, bilateral knees and feet, and TDIU. The claims are being remanded to obtain updated treatment records from Dr. T.N., conduct an appropriate VA examination, and forward the appropriate form (VA Form 21-8940) to the Veteran for completion.
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