The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to his service-connected disabilities, including heart disability, respiratory disability, hepatitis C, anxiety disorder, lumbar strain, radiculopathy of both lower extremities, accessory navicular bone stress fractures of both feet, hypertension, and TDIU. The Board also noted that the Veteran's address has changed and requested appropriate action to reschedule him for VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The claims are remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and evaluation to determine the nature and etiology of the service-connected disabilities and their impact on the Veteran’s ability to work.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disability (cardiomyopathy), respiratory disability (chest disability), hepatitis C, anxiety disorder, lumbar strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right foot accessory navicular bone stress fracture residuals and reactive exostosis, left foot accessory navicular bone stress fracture residuals and reactive exostosis, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20074500
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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