The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability and aid and attendance and/or other special monthly compensation due to his service-connected disabilities. The case will be reviewed again with additional evidence and possibly an examination.
The deciding factor: The decision is remanded as there are insufficient medical records and evidence of record to determine if the Veteran requires regular aid and attendance or has lost use of one or both extremities due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Ankle Pain, Low Back Pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20081738
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 Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to a back disability and an earlier effective date of April 27, 2023, for right ankle pain. The claim for a higher rating for GERD was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for SMC based on a need for regular aid and attendance of another person due to an inadequate VA examination and conflicting evidence regarding the impact of her service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD, along with other service-connected conditions, has resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas. Effective September 1, 2017, the Veteran is granted a 70% rating for PTSD and TDIU.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder does not require the care or assistance of another on a regular basis, and he is not housebound due to his service-connected disability. Therefore, entitlement to SMC based on aid and attendance or housebound status is denied.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.