The Veteran's appeal to reopen her claim for service connection of hypertension has been granted. The appeals for increased ratings for her right and left knee conditions are remanded due to the need for additional medical records.
The deciding factor: New evidence submitted by the Veteran relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate her claim for service connection of hypertension, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. The appeals for increased ratings for her knees require further evaluation as they are based on incomplete medical records.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Hypertension","additional_notes":""}, {"condition_name":"Right Knee Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome with Meniscal Tear","additional_notes":"Previously rated as right patellar tendonitis"}, {"condition_name":"Left Knee Meniscal Tear associated with Right Knee Condition","additional_notes":""}
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20008233
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 claim for service connection for sarcoidosis as new and relevant evidence has been received since the previous denial.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a left-hand condition is dismissed as the Veteran was granted service connection for mononeuropathy to the left hand fourth finger with parasthesia of skin in an October 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding their etiology.
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