The Board has found that the VA treatment of methadone and morphine caused multiple falls, resulting in additional orthopedic, neurological, cognitive, and vision disabilities. The claims are remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The April 2010 VA examination report was inadequate to determine if any additional disability resulted from the prescribed use of methadone and/or morphine.
- Claimed conditions
- loss of awareness, cognition, and memory, bilateral knee conditions, bilateral wrist conditions, bilateral hand conditions, left shoulder condition, left foot condition, condition affecting the left side, low back condition, neck condition, head injury with associated headaches (including vision loss)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20049166
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 20049166.
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 Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sleep apnea has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his request.,Service connection for a back condition is denied as there is no evidence that the condition began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of his low back condition, finding that it is related to his military service.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for sleep apnea and a left shoulder condition due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal.
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.