The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for VA examinations and medical opinions regarding aggravation of pre-existing conditions during active duty.
The deciding factor: VA is required to provide a VA examination or obtain a medical opinion when necessary to decide the claim based on the evidence of record, including the Veteran's history of pre-existing conditions and their progression during service.
- Claimed conditions
- spina bifida, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left flat foot, allergies
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2012
- Citation
- 1201220
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 1201220.
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 hypertension, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The lumbar spine disability has also been granted but the effective date is not specified.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected maxillary sinusitis and allergies, finding a causal relationship between these conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of November 24, 2009 for the award of service connection for rhinitis. The Veteran's claim was pending at that time and he had continuous allergy symptoms since service.
- Denied
The claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 for a child born with spina bifida is denied because no new and relevant evidence has been submitted to support the claim.
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