The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected cervical spine, lumbosacral spine, left shoulder, left wrist, and left ankle disabilities, as well as his gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with duodenitis. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all outstanding VA treatment records, provide the Veteran with another opportunity to submit private medical evidence, and schedule appropriate examinations.
The deciding factor: The Board found that further development was necessary due to incomplete examination reports and lack of adequate clinical findings for some claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbosacral spine, Degenerative joint disease (DJD) and DDD of the cervical spine, Chronic strain and DJD of the left shoulder, Left wrist scaphoid fracture ORIF with residuals, DJD and chronic strain of the left ankle, Hypertension, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with duodenitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20072729
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 Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
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