The Veteran's bilateral knee and upper extremity disorders, as well as his respiratory disorder (to include bronchitis), are on appeal. The Board has ordered additional VA examinations to determine the etiology of these conditions based on service connection theories including direct service connection, chronic undiagnosed illnesses, and medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims for bilateral knee and upper extremity disorders, as well as his respiratory disorder (to include bronchitis), are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology based on service connection theories including direct service connection, chronic undiagnosed illnesses, and medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Disorder, Left Knee Disorder, Right Upper Extremity Disorder, Left Upper Extremity Disorder, Respiratory Disorder (to include Bronchitis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20039571
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 20039571.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder is related to his military service and grants entitlement to service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and an initial compensable rating for TBI, as new evidence was received. The effective date for service connection for TBI is being remanded.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left hip disorders due to a pre-decisional error in obtaining an adequate nexus opinion prior to the June 2021 rating decision.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.