The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed cervical spine, shoulder, hand, knee, and ankle disorders. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that current medical opinions are lacking regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities related to his in-service exposure to jet fuel.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine spondylopathy, Degenerative arthritis of right shoulder, Degenerative arthritis of left shoulder, Bilateral hand sprains (osteoarthritis), Degenerative arthritis of right hand, Degenerative arthritis of left hand, Degenerative arthritis of right knee, Degenerative arthritis of left knee, Degenerative arthritis of right ankle, Degenerative arthritis of left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 30, 2024
- Citation
- 24004690
Veterans Law Judge
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 24004690.
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 claim for a compensable rating for service-connected degenerative arthritis of left knee to obtain an addendum medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a new examination to properly assess the severity of the service-connected left knee disability and to address the issue of entitlement to service connection for a left hamstring condition as secondary to the service-connected left knee condition.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder and cervical spine, finding that there is no persuasive evidence linking these conditions to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the left knee has been denied.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for a fungal condition of the head, which was previously denied due to lack of evidence, is being remanded for further examination and opinion.
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.