The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee disability and hypertension, and has remanded the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to November 20, 2015. The case is being returned to the RO for further action.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no evidence of new and material information or evidence to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection, and thus denied them. For his right knee disability, the Board noted that the current 60 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5055 is the maximum schedular disability rating available under this code (excluding a 100 percent disability rating assigned for one year following implantation of prosthesis). The record does not reflect that the Veteran underwent an additional knee replacement after December 2009. For his hypertension, the Board found that there was no evidence of new and material information or evidence to reopen the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- status post total right knee arthroplasty, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20026291
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 20026291.
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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