The Board remands the claims for a left knee strain with shin splints and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with Major Depressive Disorder with Generalized Anxiety Disorder to ensure that VA has met its duty to assist by scheduling new examinations.
The deciding factor: The January 2023 examination was inadequate as it did not discuss the Veteran's flare-ups, nor make an opinion factoring in their impact on functional loss as required under Sharp. The February 2023 examination report is internally inconsistent and may not be relied upon for rating purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee strain with shin splints, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with Major Depressive Disorder with Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2025
- Citation
- A25021721
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 931 · Granted: 42% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
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 A25021721.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cervical strain with degenerative arthritis and IVDS, radiculopathy of the left and right upper extremities, but denied service connection for left knee strain with shin splints, thoracolumbar strain with IVDS, left shoulder disability to include shoulder strain with impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis, right shoulder disability to include shoulder strain with impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis with calcific tendinitis, and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board denied higher initial ratings for cervical strain, right shoulder strain, left knee strain with shin splints, and right knee strain with shin splints. However, it granted a 20 percent rating for bilateral dry eye syndrome and a 10 percent rating for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Service connection was also granted for major depressive disorder, recurrent episode, mild and generalized anxiety disorder (claimed as ADHD) and tinnitus.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed for the issues of service connection for left and right leg conditions, and the claims for service connection for shoulder strains were denied. A separate disability rating of 20 percent from August 7, 2013, for left knee instability was granted.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's left knee strain with shin splints, right knee strain with patellofemoral pain and shin splints, left ankle strain, and right ankle strain.
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