The Veteran's bilateral knee and hip conditions are being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their relationship to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.,The Veteran's left arm condition is also being remanded as the VA examiner did not provide adequate reasoning for the opinion provided.
The deciding factor: There were insufficient medical opinions addressing whether the Veteran’s bilateral knee and hip conditions are secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability, or if they had an onset in service.,The VA examiner's opinion regarding the left arm condition was inadequate as it did not address the Veteran's contention that he injured his shoulder during a weekend drill while in the National Guard.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Knee Condition, Bilateral Hip Condition, Left Arm Condition (Muscle/Nerve Injury)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20076839
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20076839.
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 Veteran's erectile dysfunction is rated at the maximum noncompensable level. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a bilateral hip condition due to insufficient evidence in the prior VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination regarding various service-connected conditions, including left knee, shoulder, hip, ED, OSA, skin condition (dystrophic toenails), and lung condition (COPD). The effective date of service connection remains August 16, 2018.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an effective date prior to September 5, 2023, for a 100 percent rating for MDD and SMC based on housebound criteria. However, it granted service connection for right ear painful scar, right ear surgical scar, and sleep apnea with an effective date of November 30, 2020.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection for GERD and hypertension, denied service connection for hernia and migraine headaches, denied a higher rating for GERD/IBS, denied a compensable rating for hypertension, but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to a service-connected mental health disorder.
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