The Board has decided that additional evidence from Indian Health Service needs to be obtained in order to properly decide the service connection claims for osteoarthritis of the left and right knees, instability of the left and right knees, and osteoarthritis of the right hip.
The deciding factor: There was a failure to obtain federal records from Indian Health Service that were identified before the April 2019 rating decision was issued and relied on by the examiner in issuing his opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of the left knee, instability of the left knee, osteoarthritis of the right knee, instability of the right knee, osteoarthritis of the right hip
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2024
- Citation
- A24001012
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 945 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24001012.
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 service-connected bilateral hip disabilities, together with his service-connected residuals of left ankle fracture, resulted in the loss of use of his bilateral lower extremities and affected the functions of his balance and propulsion as to preclude locomotion without the aid of crutches, a walker, or a cane. The Board has granted entitlement to a certificate of eligibility for specially adapted housing (SAH).
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hip disabilities, together with his service-connected residuals of left ankle fracture, resulted in the loss of use of his bilateral lower extremities and affected the functions of his balance and propulsion as to preclude locomotion without the aid of crutches, a walker, or a cane. The Board has granted entitlement to a certificate of eligibility for specially adapted housing (SAH).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and a TDIU are being remanded due to procedural errors in the development process. The VA is required to provide an examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disorders, including any meniscal disability or patellar instability.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the left knee is granted. The claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the left shoulder is remanded.
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