The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to higher disability ratings for right ankle, sacroiliac joint, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to inadequate examination reports. The Veteran's service-connected conditions rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle disability with ankylosis and degenerative joint disease (DJD), Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus, Right knee osteoarthritis, Left knee osteoarthritis, Degenerative joint disease of the sacroiliac joint
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20050478
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 20050478.
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 bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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