The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee pain, left knee pain, and neck pain. The VA examiners' opinions were inadequate as they did not address the Veteran's lay statements regarding his in-service injury. Additional medical opinions are needed to determine if these conditions are related to his service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners failed to consider the Veteran’s lay statements about his in-service injury, which is necessary for a proper determination of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Pain, Left Knee Pain, Neck Pain
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2021
- Citation
- 21006106
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 21006106.
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 has granted service connection for right knee pain and left knee pain, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.,Both knees were diagnosed with osteoarthritis including patellofemoral pain syndrome, which began during active service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for chronic right knee pain, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to rigorous physical activity including running during his military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's low back strain is rated at 40 percent, and the issues of IBS and CFS are dismissed. The Veteran's PTSD and depressive disorder with a major depressive episode do not meet criteria for a higher rating. Service connection is granted for cervical strain and right knee pain.
- Dismissed
The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for the listed conditions, and the Board has dismissed the appeal as a result.
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