The Board has determined that additional examinations and medical opinions are needed to properly assess the Veteran's service-connected conditions, as well as to determine if there is a relationship between his current disabilities and active service. The claims for increased ratings and service connection will be remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that further development is necessary due to concerns about the qualifications of the November 2019 VA examiner and the adequacy of the November 2019 VA mental health examination, as well as potential right cruciate ligament abnormality and neck disorder related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- adjustment disorder, premature ventricular contractions with bigeminy, low back disorder, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, neck disorder, headache disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 12, 2021
- Citation
- 21042320
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 21042320.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for a VA examination and medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's low back disorder and bilateral hip disorder are related to his service-connected Crohn's disease.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disorder, skin disorder, tongue condition, right chest costochondritis, and right hand shaking due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for lumbosacral strain, asthma, melasma and hydradenitis, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression, anxiety, and stress), left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, a left foot disorder, and IBS have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded.
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