The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left knee condition. The claim will be returned for a new examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examiner did not adequately address or explain the etiology of the Veteran’s left knee joint osteoarthritis, which is required by law when arthritis is involved.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee joint osteoarthritis, status post left knee replacement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20055014
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 20055014.
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 TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including SSA disability records. The AOJ will consider the recent grants of service connection in conjunction with the TDIU application.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD, right knee joint osteoarthritis, left knee joint osteoarthritis, chest disability manifested by pain, left leg disability manifested by pain, right ankle disability manifested by pain, sleep apnea, and right ear hearing loss. The claim for left ear hearing loss is denied as the Veteran does not meet the regulatory threshold for a current hearing loss disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates of June 24, 2016 for the award of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, left lower peripheral vein insufficiency (CVI) and varicose veins, right lower peripheral vein insufficiency (CVI) and varicose veins, left knee joint osteoarthritis, and right knee joint osteoarthritis.,The effective dates are based on the Veteran's formal appeal of the July 2019 Statement of the Case and December 2016 rating decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings have been denied.,The Veteran was granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.
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.