The Board has reopened the veteran's service connection claim for a cervical spine/upper back disorder, but further development is needed to address the merits of the claims and provide proper VCAA notice.
The deciding factor: New evidence submitted since the September 2000 decision suggests a causal relationship between the veteran's current upper back disability and his service-connected lumbosacral strain. However, additional development is required to determine the merit of these claims and ensure proper VCAA notification.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine disorder, Fibromyalgia, Sciatica
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2008
- Citation
- 0809152
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 0809152.
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 has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and psychiatric disorder due to incomplete information. The Veteran needs to provide his complete service personnel records, verify his alleged combat experience in Vietnam, and undergo VA examinations for both conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the initial ratings assigned for psoriatic arthritis of the upper and lower extremities, as well as service connection for a cervical spine disorder, need to be remanded due to incomplete evidence. The Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ADT) and inactive duty for training (IDT) must be confirmed, and all relevant medical records should be obtained.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance, warranting an effective date of January 8, 2014 for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.
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