The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete VA examinations and records. The Veteran's service connection claims for disabilities of the feet and knees are denied as there is no evidence that these conditions began during his active service or are related to in-service injuries. His PTSD claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent remains pending.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's current foot and knee disabilities began during his active service or are related to in-service events, despite credible assertions from the Veteran and supporting statements from fellow service members. The VA examinations did not provide sufficient information regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- disabilities of the feet, disabilities of the knees
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20041286
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 20041286.
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 Veteran's back disability, disabilities of the knees, bilateral pes planus, and acquired psychiatric disability are granted with a 70% rating. The appeal is dismissed for the issue of service connection for shoulders.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, pes planus, and disabilities of the knees due to a lack of medical examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including adjudicating whether a debt of $14,717.00 is valid and readjudicating the waiver claim in light of all evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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