The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to new evidence received since the last SSOC, including VA examinations conducted in September 2020.
The deciding factor: New and relevant evidence was provided after the most recent Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC), necessitating a thorough review by the AOJ.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar strain, patellofemoral pain syndrome (right knee), patellofemoral pain syndrome (left knee), right ankle strain, left ankle strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20069460
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 the veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and earlier effective dates as there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his current conditions and his active military service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a right ankle strain, finding that the Veteran's current condition is etiologically related to an in-service right ankle sprain.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial evaluation of 20 percent for left and right ankle strains, denied a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, and remanded claims for hypertension and gout.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for further development, including obtaining new medical opinions and examination reports to address the issues of service connection and increased ratings.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.