The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ankle scars warrant a higher rating, but no greater. The remaining claims for service connection are REMANDED due to insufficient medical opinions addressing all raised theories of entitlement.
The deciding factor: Insufficient medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the claimed disabilities have been provided.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Left ankle disability","condition_code":null,"condition_description":"The Veteran contends he has a left ankle disability secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability."}, {"condition_name":"Bilateral hip disability","condition_code":null,"condition_description":"The Veteran contends he has a bilateral hip disability secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability."}, {"condition_name":"Bilateral knee disability","condition_code":null,"condition_description":"The Veteran contends he has a bilateral knee disability that is directly related to his active duty service, including in relation to injuries or complaints noted during his service. He also contends it was caused or aggravated by overcompensating for his right ankle disability."}, {"condition_name":"Bilateral shoulder disability","condition_code":null,"condition_description":"The Veteran contends he has a bilateral shoulder disability that is directly related to his active duty service, including in relation to injuries or complaints noted during his service. He also contends it was caused or aggravated by overuse syndrome resulting from using a wheelchair due to his service-connected disabilities."}, {"condition_name":"Bilateral wrist disability","condition_code":null,"condition_description":"The Veteran contends he has a bilateral wrist disability that is directly related to his active duty service, including in relation to injuries or complaints noted during his service. He also contends it was caused or aggravated by overuse syndrome resulting from using a wheelchair due to his service-connected disabilities."}, {"condition_name":"Low back disability","condition_code":null,"condition_description":"The Veteran contends he has a low back disability that is directly related to his active duty service, including in relation to injuries or complaints noted during his service. He also contends it was caused or aggravated by overcompensating for his right ankle disability."}
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20067881
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for anxiety but denied it for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea was less likely than not related to his active service or service-connected acquired psychiatric condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches as proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.
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