The Board has determined that the claims for service connection of various musculoskeletal disabilities and fibromyalgia must be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions provided in prior VA examinations. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded as it may significantly impact the outcome of these service connection issues.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous VA examination opinions were not adequate, particularly regarding the etiology of the musculoskeletal disabilities and fibromyalgia, necessitating further medical evaluation to provide a more informed opinion on these claims.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, right wrist disability, fibromyalgia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 30, 2023
- Citation
- 23063252
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 23063252.
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 right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- 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.
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