The Board remands the issues of service connection for hepatitis C, a respiratory disability, a low back disability, and a cervical spine disability, as well as higher ratings for the left knee and right ankle disabilities, due to inadequate medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The requested opinions are deemed inadequate by the Board, necessitating further development before adjudication can proceed.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatitis C, respiratory disability, to include COPD, low back disability, cervical spine disability, left knee disability, right ankle sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 30, 2025
- Citation
- 25007344
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 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 claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the service-connected right ankle sprain, but denied an increased rating in excess of 20 percent.
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