The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of his claimed lower lumbar sprain/strain disability, including back pain, muscle spasms, and limited mobility. The examiner must provide an opinion as to whether it is at least as likely as not that he suffers from either (1) a chronic lumbar strain/sprain disability attributable to the reported in-service injury or (2) residuals of the reported in-service lumbar injury.
The deciding factor: The Board finds a remand necessary due to the lack of an adequate opinion regarding the Veteran's primary contention and his claimed service connection for a low back disability, including lower lumbar sprain/strain.
- Claimed conditions
- lower lumbar sprain/strain, chronic lumbar strain/sprain disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2015
- Citation
- 1552594
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 1552594.
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
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- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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