The Board has determined that the VA did not substantially comply with its remand directives and requires further development for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various orthopedic disabilities, including bilateral eye disorders.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the VA failed to obtain additional STRs from the Veteran's periods of reserve service as directed in a previous remand. Additionally, the VA did not provide adequate opinions regarding the etiology and onset of the Veteran's claimed conditions based on his lay statements and medical records.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Eye Disorder, Back Disability, Neck Disability, Right Arm/Shoulder Disability, Left Arm/Shoulder Disability, Right Hip Disability, Left Hip Disability, Right Knee Disability, Left Knee Disability, Right Ankle Disability, Left Ankle Disability, Right Foot Disability (Pes Planus), Left Foot Disability (Pes Planus)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2023
- Citation
- 23015022
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 23015022.
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 Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support an etiological relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 19, 2002.
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