The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records.,The Veteran is seeking a higher rating for his knee conditions, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, lumbar spine disorder, thoracic spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, neurological deficits, carpal tunnel syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, and acquired psychiatric disorder.
The deciding factor: Additional examinations are needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's knee conditions, as well as his diagnoses of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, lumbar spine disorder, thoracic spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, neurological deficits, carpal tunnel syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, and acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran also needs to provide evidence of any in-service herbicide exposure for service connection claims.,The Board acknowledges that the Veteran has submitted some VA and private treatment records but notes that additional examinations are needed to ensure a complete record is available for proper adjudication.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of meniscectomy, left knee, residuals of enlarged tibial tubercle, right knee, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, lumbar spine disorder, thoracic spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, neurological deficits, fecal incontinence, and/or urinary incontinence due to spine disorder, carpal tunnel syndrome, right wrist, carpal tunnel syndrome, left wrist, obstructive sleep apnea (previously claimed as sleep disorder), acquired psychiatric disorder (including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20012043
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 20012043.
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 has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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