The Veteran's service-connected knee and ankle disabilities have worsened since his last VA examination, necessitating new evaluations to determine appropriate disability ratings.
The deciding factor: New evidence of worsening symptoms has been presented by the Veteran, warranting further evaluation to determine current severity levels.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee (status-post total knee replacement), left knee - DJD with patellofemoral pain, right ankle - DJD with Achilles tendinitis, left ankle - DJD with Achilles tendinitis, left groin strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20007766
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,011 · Granted: 24% (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 20007766.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, left foot plantar fasciitis with bilateral pes planus, and right ankle chronic instability but denied service connection for a left groin strain.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for left groin strain, finding that there was no pending claim prior to July 17, 2001.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim of service connection for a left hip disability, including a left groin strain, is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The AOJ will consider the claim on the merits.
- Denied
The Veteran's service connection claims for left groin strain, right groin strain, skin condition (excluding pseudofolliculitis barbae), and right ear hearing loss have all been denied.,There is no current evidence of a diagnosed left or right groin strain or skin condition (other than pseudofolliculitis barbae) disability. The Veteran's post-service treatment records do not reflect any symptoms that cause functional impairment.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.