Citation Nr: 21012609
Decision Date: 03/04/21	Archive Date: 03/04/21

DOCKET NO. 15-09 557
DATE: March 4, 2021

REMANDED

Service connection for cervical spine disability is remanded.

Service connection for left ankle disability is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran served in the United States Navy from January 1969 to October 1970. Unfortunately, the Veteran died in October 2017. The appellant is his surviving spouse.

This matter is before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a June 2015 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). The matter was previously before the Board in October 2017 and October 2019, where it was remanded for additional development. It now returns to the Board for adjudication.

Unfortunately, the matter must be remanded again. The Board regrets the additional delay.

The Veteran’s VA treatment records show that he was treated at least five times at the Mare Island VA Clinic between 2014 and 2016. These documents were noted as scanned into the VistA imaging database but were not included in the record on appeal. Without the treatment records, the Board cannot determine whether any of them are relevant to the issues on appeal. As such, the matter must be remanded to associate the missing documents with the record so that the Board may fully adjudicate the matter.

The matters are REMANDED for the following action:

1. Associate the Veteran’s non-VA care records including, but not limited to, the 2014, 2015, and 2016 treatment records from the Mare Island VA Clinic, stored in the VistA imaging system with the claims file.

 

 

J. B. FREEMAN

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans’ Appeals

Attorney for the Board	Michael D. Wagner, Associate Counsel

The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.