The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate examinations and incomplete records. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for thoracic strain, left knee medial compartment narrowing status post ACL repair, and unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder with alcohol use disorder and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are being returned to the RO for further action.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the examinations were inadequate due to lack of detail regarding flare-ups and incomplete records. As a result, the claims must be remanded for additional development.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracic strain, Left knee medial compartment narrowing status post anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair, Unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder with alcohol use disorder and traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2021
- Citation
- 21012868
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 21012868.
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.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) as there is no evidence that he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted an increased rating of 40 percent for thoracic strain throughout the review period, which represents a full grant of benefits sought on appeal.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his thoracic spine disability was denied by the Board, as his current range of motion does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the service-connected thoracic strain and dismissed the appeal regarding the proposal to sever service connection for vitamin D deficiency.
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