The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his left knee, right hip, and bilateral hip disabilities are being remanded due to the receipt of additional VA examination evidence. The AOJ is instructed to consider whether extra-schedular referral to the Director of Compensation Service is warranted in connection with these claims.
The deciding factor: The case has been returned to the AOJ for consideration of newly received evidence and for any necessary readjudication, including an assessment of whether extra-schedular referral is warranted.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee strain with degenerative joint disease, total left knee arthroplasty, left hip strain, right hip strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21003003
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 21003003.
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 Veteran's service connection claims for lumbosacral strain, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and left hip strain as secondary to lumbosacral strain have been granted. The claim for left hip strain is remanded due to insufficient evidence on whether it was caused or aggravated by the service-connected lumbosacral strain.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD, and multiple orthopedic conditions, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several claims for further action, including effective date determinations and service connection determinations. The Veteran's service records from Portsmouth Naval Hospital are requested to be obtained.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the Veteran's obesity, caused by her service-connected hypothyroidism, is an intermediate step between her service-connected condition and her current disability. The Board also found that her bilateral knee disabilities would not have occurred but for her obesity.
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