The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for patellofemoral pain syndrome of both knees, lumbar disc herniation, radiculopathy of the upper extremities, and insomnia. The claims are being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional evidence had been submitted since the last Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC), including VA treatment records and private treatment records related to the Veteran's disabilities, which were not considered in the previous decision. The AOJ is required to review this new evidence and issue a new SSOC.
- Claimed conditions
- patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee, patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee, lumbar disc herniation, rheumatoid arthritis (claimed as radiculopathy, right upper extremity), rheumatoid arthritis (claimed as radiculopathy, left upper extremity), insomnia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 26, 2023
- Citation
- 23040689
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 23040689.
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 claim for service connection of insomnia was denied, and the effective date is set to the date of receipt of the claim (May 31, 2024).
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia and alcohol use disorder caused his sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee; right knee strain with instability (limitation of flexion); and right knee strain with instability (impairment of the knee) have been granted effective December 30, 2022.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the claims of entitlement to a compensable disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for anterior uveitis, right eye, and service connection for restless leg syndrome, RLE. The claim for service connection for insomnia is dismissed as moot because it was granted with an effective date based on the date of the Veteran's application.
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