The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claims for increased ratings and service connection can be adjudicated on the merits. The Veteran's representative requested information about the qualifications of the VA examiners who provided the May 2023 examination reports, June 2023 addendum opinions, and the internal medicine physician's opinion with respect to hypertension.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional development is necessary due to challenges raised by the Veteran's representative regarding the qualifications of the VA examiners who provided the requested opinions. The representative argued that the examiners were not shown to possess any particular expertise, experience, training, and/or competence with respect to the relevant cardiovascular, orthopedic, and/or podiatric fields of medicine.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar strain at sacrospinalis, erector spinae muscle, left knee strain, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left elbow disability, right elbow disability, left foot disability, right foot disability, right knee disability, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2023
- Citation
- 23058734
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 23058734.
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 Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
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