The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting new examinations to address the Veteran's ankle disabilities and tremors.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on insufficient rationale provided by the VA examiner regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current ankle conditions and service, as well as secondary service connection claims. The Board also notes that a VA examination for Parkinson’s disease is needed due to lack of medical opinion regarding the etiology of the condition.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral ankle disabilities, degenerative joint disease of the talonavicular joint of the left ankle, degenerative changes of the subtalar facet joint of the right ankle, right lateral collateral ligament sprain, right osteochondritis dissecans, bilateral tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20027988
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 20027988.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, abdominal hernia, GERD, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral foot disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during the appellant's period of active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for entitlement to TDIU and denied his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, back strain, bilateral knee disabilities, and bilateral ankle disabilities. The claims of service connection for these conditions are remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right ankle and GERD conditions due to inadequate examination reports that did not consider the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder disability, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral knee disabilities due to new and relevant evidence submitted since the last denial. Service connection is also granted for gastritis (gastrointestinal condition) and cyst scrotum on the right side.
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