The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal due to insufficient information regarding his service in the Puerto Rico Army National Guard, which is necessary for proper adjudication of all appealed issues.
The deciding factor: VA needs to obtain a complete summary of the Veteran’s dates of active duty and inactive duty training (ACDUTRA/INACDUTRA) served in the Puerto Rico Army National Guard from October 1989 to February 2003 and January 2004 to August 2007.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee disability, left eye blindness (glaucoma and senile cataract), right eye blindness (glaucoma and senile cataract), acquired psychiatric disability (Major Depressive Disorder), decreased bone density (osteoporosis and osteopenia), low back disability, left foot disability, radiculopathy of the left leg, raticulopathy of the right leg
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20072524
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 service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, right hip condition, left hip condition, low back disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, as there was no evidence of in-service injury or illness related to these conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right knee, right hip, and lumbar spine disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability but denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for his left knee disability prior to April 25, 2019.
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.