The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to a failure to obtain necessary VA examinations.
The deciding factor: There was a pre-decisional duty to assist error in failing to reschedule the required VA examinations, which were needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's disabilities and their relationship to his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease of the Lumbar Spine, Left Hip Disability, Residuals of a Left Ankle Injury, Left Leg Disability (previously claimed as left knee disability)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2024
- Citation
- A24021998
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 A24021998.
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.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for the claimed conditions as there is no persuasive evidence of current diagnoses or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for both a right hip disability and a left hip disability, finding that the Veteran's observable symptoms of pain and stiffness began during his active service and have persisted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is granted a 70% rating. The left hip disability claim is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding causation and aggravation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left hip disabilities due to a failure to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether his current hip conditions are related to documented in-service injuries.
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