The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and leg pain are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. His postoperative ventral hernia remains rated at 40 percent.
The deciding factor: Additional medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's low back disorder with associated leg pain has been aggravated by his service-connected ventral hernia.
- Claimed conditions
- Postoperative Residuals of Ventral Hernia, Low Back Disorder (claimed as back pain), Leg Pain
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 7, 2011
- Citation
- 1144653
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 1144653.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status or the need for regular aid and attendance was denied as there is no evidence of significant disabilities that would require such benefits.
- Denied
The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a currently diagnosed disorder of the legs, and there is no evidence linking any current leg pain to service. The back disorder was also not shown to be related to service.
- Denied
The Board found that the veteran's additional disabilities, including back and leg pain and bowel/bladder incontinence, were not caused by or aggravated by VA treatment performed on August 30, 1996.
- Denied
The RO severed service connection for fatigue and leg pain due to undiagnosed illness, effective November 2, 1994. The veteran's disability rating had not been in effect for 10 years or more.
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