The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for varicose veins of the lower left extremity is being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The VA examiner did not adequately consider all his symptomology, including stasis pigmentation, eczema, or ulceration associated with his varicosities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not comment on whether the Veteran had any stasis pigmentation, eczema, or ulceration associated with his varicose veins of the left lower extremity.
- Claimed conditions
- varicose veins
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 7, 2020
- Citation
- A20015308
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 claims for a neck condition, plantar fasciitis, left ankle condition, and varicose veins to ensure that VA's duty to assist is followed and that the Veteran is afforded every possible consideration.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for an increased rating for varicose veins and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Dismissed
The appeals regarding the deferred claims for service connection for varicose veins and total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) are dismissed as there was no final adjudicative determination to which a Notice of Disagreement could be filed.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, but granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
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