The Board denied the Veteran's service connection claim for a thoracic spine disability in November 2007, and has now determined that new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the claim.
The deciding factor: New and material evidence was not submitted to support the Veteran's claim of permanent aggravation of his pre-existing thoracic spine disability during service.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracic spine disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2015
- Citation
- 1554243
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1554243.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development and consideration of the appellant's theory that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his obesity, which contributed to his death.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected migraines are granted, and her thoracic spine disability is rated at 20 percent. The rating for the thoracic spine disability remains unchanged as there is no evidence of flexion limited to 30 degrees or less.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, thoracic spine disability, radicular pain of the right upper extremity, and radicular pain of the left upper extremity as withdrawn by the Veteran. The appeal is also REMANDED for a VA medical opinion on the claim of service connection for headaches.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical, lumbar, and thoracic spine disabilities due to a lack of VA examination. The Veteran is advised to provide any missing records and undergo VA examinations.
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