The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions and records in order to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic low back pain with herniated disc, including as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an adequate opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current low back disability is related to his military service or due to his service-connected bilateral knee conditions. The Board also notes that there are outstanding private treatment records which may contain relevant information and evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic low back pain with herniated disc
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 2, 2014
- Citation
- 1419592
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 1419592.
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 determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion from an appropriate physician, based on claims file review and supported by complete, clearly stated rationale.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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