The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's pre-existing left knee ACL reconstruction was aggravated by service. The case will be returned for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not adequately address the in-service complaints and injury that could have led to aggravation of the pre-existing condition.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee ACL reconstruction
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20002372
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20002372.
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 Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection as they are related to conditions that have been resolved due to the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's knees, including a reduction in disability rating for left knee ACL reconstruction and increased ratings for osteoarthritis of the left knee and degenerative changes of the right knee. The remand is due to the need for further development regarding the Veteran's lay statements about intermittent instability in his left knee.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, and restoration of disability ratings for various knee and ankle conditions were denied. The appeal was remanded for further action on other issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee scars and osteoarthritis due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of all evidence in his file.
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