The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and gastrointestinal disorders due to insufficient medical opinions and need for additional development.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations provided were inadequate as they did not adequately address the Veteran's lay statements regarding the onset and continuity of his symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Disorder, Left Knee Disorder, Gastrointestinal Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2020
- Citation
- 20001651
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining additional VA examinations to determine the current level of severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded issues related to service connection for knee and lumbar spine disorders.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disorder and a gastrointestinal disorder, as the evidence did not support current diagnoses or functional impairments related to these conditions during or approximate to the pendency of the claims.
- Denied
The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and remanded claims for service connection for sinus condition, gastrointestinal disorder, hypertension, right knee disability, and left knee disability.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.