The Board has ordered the VA to obtain medical records from Dr. German and LL. Wilkes, M.D., and request additional evidence for a spine examination. The case will be remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that reasonable efforts were not made to obtain all relevant medical records and requested them again.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic low back disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2006
- Citation
- 0629552
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0629552.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation as of June 1, 2008.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a chronic low back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found that the Veteran's current low back condition was not incurred in service due to lack of evidence supporting a nexus between his current DDD diagnosis and an in-service injury. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted based on continuity of symptomatology since service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors, including obtaining VA treatment records prior to 2008 and SSA records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current low back disorder is related to his military service.
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