The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral ankle condition. The issues of service connection and TDIU are now before the Board again.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the December 2018 VA examiner did not provide sufficient rationale for their opinion, specifically failing to address whether the Veteran’s preexisting ankle conditions underwent permanent worsening during active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral ankle condition
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20052663
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 20052663.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate development of evidence, specifically failing to provide a VA examination or medical opinion regarding his claimed bilateral ankle, knee, low back, and left shoulder conditions. The claims are being returned to the AOJ for further action.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's previously denied claim for bilateral ankle condition is dismissed.,New evidence supports the readjudication of claims for service connection for right knee, bilateral foot, and lumbosacral strain conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran has withdrawn all pending appeals, including those related to service connection for various conditions and a rating for migraines and erectile dysfunction.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee and ankle conditions, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to her in-service injuries.
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