The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, left shoulder, and back disorders due to inadequate opinions provided in August 2020. Additionally, the claim for a higher initial rating for left hallux valgus is also being remanded as it is intertwined with the service connection claims.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous medical opinions did not address whether the Veteran's current left knee, left shoulder, and back disorders are aggravated by his service-connected left hallux valgus. The examiner was also requested to provide an opinion on whether any current left foot disorder is separate and distinct from his service-connected left hallux valgus.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee disorder, left shoulder disorder, back disorder, left foot disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20073390
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 various conditions, including a head injury, headache disorder, erectile dysfunction, left earache disorder, chronic fatigue, right shoulder disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, right foot disorder, GERD, and left shoulder disorder, as the evidence did not support current diagnoses of these conditions.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, type II, migraines, left and right knee disorders, and obstructive sleep apnea due to missing military records and inadequate examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders to obtain a new examination that adequately addresses all pertinent evidence of record.
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