The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to an incomplete record, specifically missing treatment records from the Veteran's primary care physician.
The deciding factor: Remand is necessary because the AOJ failed to make reasonable efforts to ensure all relevant treatment records were obtained, particularly those from the Veteran's PCP.
- Claimed conditions
- melanoma, scars status post excision of hidrocystomas, left knee complications due to internal joint prosthesis, degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome, degenerative disc disease lumbar spine, and spinal stenosis, left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25028070
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 granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, as August 21, 2023, is the earliest possible effective date based on VA receiving the claim.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and voiding dysfunction as residuals of a stroke, and granted initial ratings for the back disability, left shoulder disability, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The claims for earlier effective dates for hypertension and stroke were denied.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, degenerative arthritis, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension was dismissed due to non-compliance with claims processing rules.
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