The Board remands the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for multiple service-connected disabilities to obtain an opinion on their severity from a clinician.
The deciding factor: A remand is necessary to correct the pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the ameliorative effects of medication and to ensure that all relevant evidence is considered in determining the severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Left knee disability, Right knee disability, Left shoulder disability, Right shoulder disability, Left ankle disability, Right ankle disability, Right hip disability, Lumbar spine disability, Bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2025
- Citation
- A25034627
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 chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for right and left shoulder disabilities, as the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Denied
The veteran's bad conduct discharge precludes eligibility for VA benefits, including compensation and healthcare.
- Granted
The Board granted a 10 percent disability rating for osteoarthritis of the right hand and service connection for a left shoulder disability.
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