Citation Nr: 18152930
Decision Date: 11/26/18	Archive Date: 11/26/18

DOCKET NO. 17-51 513
DATE:	November 26, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure) is remanded.
Whether the severance of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy was proper is remanded.
Whether the severance of service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy was proper is remanded.
Entitlement to an increased evaluation of right wrist degenerative joint disease (claimed as right wrist condition with radiating pain and swelling in fingers) (dominant), currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, to include effective date, is remanded.
Entitlement to an increased evaluation of left knee pain due to degenerative change to patellar ligament at insertion to tibial tuberosity (claimed as left knee condition with pain), currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, is remanded.
Entitlement to an earlier effective date prior to March 28, 2014 for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from October 2010 to December 2012.
The Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) notes that it has bifurcated and recharacterized the issue of whether the severance of service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy was proper, as set forth above.
1. Entitlement to service connection for hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure), whether the severance of service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy was proper, entitlement to an increased evaluation of right wrist degenerative joint disease (claimed as right wrist condition with radiating pain and swelling in fingers) (dominant), currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, to include effective date, entitlement to an increased evaluation of left knee pain due to degenerative change to patellar ligament at insertion to tibial tuberosity (claimed as left knee condition with pain), currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, and entitlement to an earlier effective date prior to March 28, 2014 for the grant of a TDIU are remanded.
The Veteran has stated that he has applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits form the Social Security Administration (SSA).  Records of the Veteran’s application for SSDI benefits were obtained from the SSA in November 2014.  However, a February 2015 private treatment note indicates that the Veteran had a hearing in relation to his application for SSDI benefits that month.  Thus, more recent SSA records are likely in existence (aside from those that are currently in the Veteran’s claims file).  Those more recent SSA records may be relevant to these issues on appeal, and they should therefore be sought and obtained, if possible, prior to the Board’s adjudication of these appeals.  See 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(c)(2).
The matters are REMANDED for the following action:
1. Obtain all Social Security Administration records pertaining to the Veteran’s claims for SSDI benefits, to include any determinations and the medical records used in support of his claim and associate the same with the Veteran’s claims folder.  All attempts to obtain these records should be documented in the claims folder.  Efforts to obtain the requested records should be ended only if it is concluded that the records sought do not exist or that further efforts to obtain those records would be futile.  Because these are federal records, if they cannot be located or no such records exist, the Veteran should be notified in writing.
 
L. BARSTOW
Acting Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	C. Banks, Associate Counsel