The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral ankle disability, left knee strain, and right knee arthritis need to be remanded due to the failure to obtain a medical opinion regarding their etiology. The AOJ is instructed to forward the case file to a qualified clinician who will provide an addendum opinion on the nature and etiology of these disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the AOJ did not attempt to obtain a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed ankle and knee disabilities, leading to their denial based on his failure to report for scheduled examinations. The Board now directs the AOJ to forward the case file to a qualified clinician who will provide an addendum opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral ankle disability, left knee strain, right knee arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20052432
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 20052432.
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 Board has remanded the claims for a neurological examination to determine if any diagnosed radiculopathy or other neurological disability affecting the lower extremities was caused or aggravated by service-connected conditions.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of various conditions due to untimely filing of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, shin splints of the right leg, and shin splints of the left leg are being remanded due to a failure to obtain VA examinations and medical nexus opinions.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral ankle disability as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee and low back disabilities.
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