The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to outstanding private treatment records from Dr. Waters at South West Sound Orthopedics in Silverdale.
The deciding factor: The VA did not obtain relevant private medical records associated with the Veteran's hip treatment from Dr. Waters, which may be pertinent to his appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of right hip replacement, residuals of left hip replacement, right hip osteoarthritis with limitation of flexion, left hip osteoarthritis with limitation of flexion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 23, 2023
- Citation
- 23052930
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 23052930.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant requested to withdraw it.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right and left hip disabilities, finding the evidence to be in equipoise. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disability was remanded for further consideration.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 28, 2021 for the award of service connection for multiple conditions including cervical spine stenosis, right and left knee strains, and right and left hip osteoarthritis.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and higher ratings were mostly denied, but a rating of 90 percent for residuals of a right total hip replacement and special monthly compensation (SMC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l) were granted.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.