The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's back disorder, finding that it was not related to his military service. The case is now being remanded for further development and readjudication.
The deciding factor: The VA examination in 2003 did not provide an opinion as to the likely etiology of the current back disability.
- Claimed conditions
- status post L4-L5 discectomy, mild annular bulging at L2-L3 and L3-L4 with mild spinal stenosis and partial foraminal encroachment
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2010
- Citation
- 1003389
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 1003389.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board has received a withdrawal of the appeal from the Veteran's attorney, and thus the appeal is dismissed.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions, including status post L4-L5 discectomy, mild annular bulging at L2-L3 and L3-L4 with mild spinal stenosis and partial foraminal encroachment.
- Denied
The Veteran's current back disorder was not incurred in, or aggravated by, active service and is more likely related to a work injury in January 1990.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete notification and development under the VCAA, and because additional workers' compensation records are needed.
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