The Board remands the claim for service connection for deep vein thrombosis and residual leg pain to obtain an addendum opinion that clarifies whether the condition is a congenital disease or defect, and if it is a congenital disease, whether it clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The April 2021 VA examination report provided an inadequate nexus opinion due to an inaccurate factual premise and lack of sufficient rationale. An addendum opinion is needed to clarify the nature of the condition and its relationship to the Veteran's service.
- Claimed conditions
- deep vein thrombosis, residual leg pain
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2025
- Citation
- A25051285
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining additional evidence and opinions to address whether the Veteran's claimed conditions are related to his service or VA treatment.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an increased initial rating of 40 percent for voiding dysfunction status post urinary tract cancer and denied an increased initial rating in excess of 30 percent for a left nephrectomy due to urinary tract cancer. The remaining service connection claims were remanded.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection and increased ratings, granted restoration of a 20 percent rating for left knee osteoarthritis with limitation of extension, and remanded claims for service connection for varicose veins and an earlier effective date for DEA benefits.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for obesity, hypertension, deep vein thrombosis, peripheral neuropathy in both upper and lower extremities, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and prostate cancer. The evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.
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