The Board has found that the VA Regional Office (RO) committed pre-decisional duty to assist errors and requires remand for obtaining private medical records related to the Veteran's right knee and hip surgeries, as well as an addendum opinion regarding whether these disabilities are aggravated by her service-connected lower back disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the RO did not obtain relevant private medical records and did not address secondary aggravation in its March 2021 decision on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- right hip degenerative arthritis, right knee meniscal tear
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 7, 2024
- Citation
- A24044520
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 A24044520.
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 Board has granted service connection for right knee disability, left knee arthritis, and bilateral knee instability. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible lay evidence regarding the onset of symptoms in service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right knee conditions, including meniscal tear and osteoarthritis, are related to her service. The decision grants service connection for these conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, right knee meniscal tear with osteoarthritis and patellofemoral pain syndrome, and right knee limitation of extension. The effective dates are April 15, 2015, January 30, 2015, and January 20, 2015 respectively.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
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