The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed for the Veteran's headaches and back disability claims due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran will be scheduled for an examination to determine the nature and etiology of his current headaches, as well as whether they are related to service. An addendum opinion from the December 2012 VA examiner will also be requested.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that the existing evidence is insufficient to make a determination on the Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and back disability due to the lack of an adequate medical opinion regarding their etiology. The Veteran has provided credible assertions about his in-service injuries, but further examination and analysis are needed.
- Claimed conditions
- headaches, back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2016
- Citation
- 1600897
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 1600897.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, endometriosis, thyroid condition, and chronic fatigue syndrome due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial. The claims are now considered on their merits.
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