The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to deficiencies in the May 2009 and April 2015 examination reports, specifically regarding pain levels, range of motion, and whether there is ankylosis. The Veteran will need addendum opinions addressing these issues.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the May 2009 and April 2015 examination reports were inadequate to assess the Veteran's disabilities due to deficiencies in pain levels, range of motion, and whether there is ankylosis. The Veteran will need addendum opinions addressing these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee osteochondral injury, patellar maltracking, left knee strain with degenerative changes, cervical spine fracture with spondylosis, low back strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004811
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to follow and secure substantially gainful employment, thus a total disability rating for individual unemployability is granted.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for service connection for left knee patellar femoral syndrome, right knee patellar femoral syndrome, low back strain, and right hip bursitis.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, but granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including migraines, OSA, a neck condition, left ankle sprain, low back strain, bilateral foot and knee conditions, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, and bilateral hearing loss, as VA failed to provide adequate examinations.
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