The Board remands the claims for additional VA examinations to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran's conditions.
The deciding factor: The AOJ erred in not affording the Veteran additional opportunities to attend VA examinations when he was available, as he advised by telephone prior to the scheduled examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracic spine degenerative joint disease, right elbow/bicep disorder, left elbow/bicep disorder, left wrist disorder, left ankle disorder, bilateral foot disorder, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, dermatitis disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2025
- Citation
- A25043846
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 earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA, but denied increased ratings for various service-connected conditions.
- 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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
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