The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a left knee disability, back disability, right shoulder disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, and erectile dysfunction, due to inadequate medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions on the orthopedic claims are inadequate because they either offered conclusory opinions or no opinion at all on the secondary service connection claim; that is, that the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus caused him to become obese and the obesity caused the claimed disabilities. The opinions on remand must address that theory and should consider articles submitted by the Veteran's representative in November 2023.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee disability, back disability, right shoulder disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2024
- Citation
- 24002007
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 Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding its etiology.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
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