The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for updated VA treatment records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral elbow disabilities is being reviewed with a new examination by an infectious disease specialist.
The deciding factor: The decision was remanded because the previous opinion did not distinguish between direct service connection and secondary service connection, and there are new medical opinions and evidence that need to be considered.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral elbow epicondylitis, elbow synovitis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20080775
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,934 · Granted: 41% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20080775.
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.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral elbow epicondylitis was granted and remanded. The Board found new evidence warranted a readjudication, but also remanded the case for further medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that service connection for plantar fasciitis is denied. The remaining claims of service connection for allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis with chronic cough, anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches, acid reflux with nausea, benign prostatic hyperplasia with voiding dysfunction, kidney stones, cervicalgia, lumbago, sciatica, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral elbow epicondylitis, a left knee condition, and right knee strain are remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hand and elbow disability, finding that the Veteran does not have current diagnosed arthritis of the hands or elbows. The Board also found that any current disabilities (bilateral hand strain and bilateral elbow epicondylitis) are less likely related to active service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his employment as a clerk does not constitute marginal employment and thus he is not unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
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