The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right foot degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative joint disease, and a right calf condition as due to left foot arthritis and decreased sensation. The VA examiner's opinions are deemed inadequate, necessitating further development.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner’s opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right foot and knee disabilities were found to be conclusory and insufficient for appellate review.
- Claimed conditions
- right foot degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative joint disease, right calf condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20071596
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 denied earlier effective dates for the award of service connection and denied increased ratings for various disabilities, but granted a separate rating for left upper extremity radiculopathy from October 20, 2020.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, back disability, bilateral achilles tendonitis, gout, diabetes mellitus, type 2 (DMII), obstructive sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety and depression. The Board denied increased ratings for right and left knee degenerative joint disease, separate ratings for instability of the knees, a separate rating for residuals of a right knee meniscectomy, and service connection for bilateral leg pain, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic sinus disability, respiratory disability due to exposure to asbestos, heart murmur, irregular heartbeat, and seizures.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for right knee subluxation and degenerative joint disease due to an inadequate addendum opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities and SMC based on loss of use of the bilateral lower extremities.
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