The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to outstanding treatment records from a United States Army health care center, as well as the need for VA examinations for his right knee disability and skin condition.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient evidence in the record to make determinations on the Veteran's claims without obtaining additional medical opinions and considering any outstanding treatment records.
- Claimed conditions
- partial tear of supraspinatus tendon with bursitis of the left shoulder, right ankle closed fracture status of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine with spondylosis, bilateral plantar fasciitis, mast cell activation syndrome, right shoulder status post subacromial decompression, right elbow lateral epicondylitis, multiple scars, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with hiatal hernia, hemorrhoids, skin rash and facial flushing, right knee disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20002953
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,249 · Granted: 37% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
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 20002953.
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 Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Dismissed
The appeals regarding the evaluation of bilateral plantar fasciitis and residuals of fractures of the second, fourth, and fifth left toes, as well as the evaluation of bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy with loss of use, are dismissed as untimely.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for shin splints, right knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), stomach disability, and left ear hearing loss due to errors in providing notice of the right to a hearing.
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