The Board remands the claims for service connection for left knee, left ankle, right ankle, left hip, and right hip osteoarthritis to ensure adequate examinations are conducted.
The deciding factor: The opinions provided by the September 2021 VA examiner were found inadequate due to reliance on the absence of evidence, inaccurate recounting of facts, and failure to consider lay statements. A remand is necessary for new examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee osteoarthritis, left ankle osteoarthritis, right ankle osteoarthritis, left hip osteoarthritis, right hip osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2024
- Citation
- A24072166
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 matter for an appropriate VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran's right hip disability, as the April 2021 VA examination is deemed inadequate.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the claims for bilateral tinnitus, right knee osteoarthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis due to inadequate medical evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 27, 2023, for the award of service connection for left ankle osteoarthritis and remanded a claim for a higher disability evaluation.
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