The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and a VA examination. The issues of service connection for his back disability and alcohol dependence are inextricably intertwined.
The deciding factor: The case must be remanded because there is insufficient evidence to make a determination on the claims without further development.
- Claimed conditions
- status-post lumbosacral spine with fusion, degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lower back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 13, 2016
- Citation
- 1646583
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 1646583.
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 claim for service connection for a total right knee arthroplasty, degenerative disc disease of the lower back, hypertension, migraine headaches (secondary to tinnitus), and depressive disorder secondary to degenerative disc disease was granted. The effective date is set at the date of receipt of the petition to reopen.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's application to reopen her claim for service connection for left eye blindness has been granted. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lower back and left eye blindness due to outstanding records and further medical examination.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a status post lumbosacral spine with fusion and degenerative disc disease of the lower back, as well as alcohol dependence secondary to a lumbosacral spine condition. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service.
- 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.
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