The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee strain, left knee strain, lumbar strain, headaches, left ventricular hypertrophy, and sinusitis are not supported by the evidence of record. The appeals have been remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is insufficient evidence to support a finding of current disabilities for the claimed conditions and that the Veteran's reports of pain do not rise to the level required for service connection due to lack of functional loss. The appeals have been remanded as new examinations are needed to address these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Strain, Left Knee Strain, Lumbar Strain, Headaches, Left Ventricular Hypertrophy, Sinusitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2023
- Citation
- 23021940
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 23021940.
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 Veteran's right and left knee strains, as well as shin splints, were granted increased ratings. The Veteran also received special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from October 25, 2017 to March 11, 2024.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to PTSD, but his headaches are denied due to lack of service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's headaches, which manifested as very frequent and prolonged attacks causing severe economic inadaptability, are granted a 50 percent disability rating for the entire period on appeal.
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