The Veteran seeks service connection for a back disorder that he claims was caused by a fall in excess of 100 feet during service in Vietnam. The Board has requested additional medical opinions to determine the etiology of his current back disability and whether it is as likely as not incurred in or caused by the claimed in-service injury.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address the Veteran's statements about the in-service fall and persistent symptoms since service, which are critical for determining causation.
- Claimed conditions
- back injury, compression fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2017
- Citation
- 1709079
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 1709079.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of various conditions as secondary to left ankle condition due to an improper concurrent election in a previous appeal.
- Dismissed
The appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the Appellant, and no decision can be made on the underlying claims.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the claims for back injury and radiculopathy of the right leg are remanded due to insufficient evidence.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition began during his active service and has continued since then.
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