The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hand, knee, and foot arthritis as well as a skin disease (rash) due to additional development being necessary. The Veteran's service connection claims are based on direct evidence rather than presumptive exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not fully address the Veteran's contentions of in-service injuries and continued symptoms after service, leading to insufficient nexus opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hand Arthritis, Bilateral Knee Arthritis, Bilateral Foot Arthritis, Skin Disease (Rash)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 7, 2021
- Citation
- 21027883
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 21027883.
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 denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date before May 15, 2015, for service connection of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) due to insufficient evidence linking OSA to his bilateral knee condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that new examinations are needed for the Veteran's right thumb disability, left leg lymphedema, and bilateral knee arthritis due to incomplete information in previous VA examinations. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it could significantly impact these issues.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of a 60 percent disability rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae with scar is granted. The Board finds that his condition had increased in severity prior to May 9, 2016 and thus grants the earlier effective date of July 22, 2015.
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