The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a new examination to address service connection claims for low back disorder, cervical spine disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's service treatment records indicate he hurt his back in service, but there is conflicting evidence regarding the nature of his current conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the existing medical opinions are inadequate due to their failure to consider the Veteran's entire medical history, including lay statements about his symptoms and surgeries. The case requires additional development to obtain relevant VA treatment records and provide a new examination for each issue.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disorder, cervical spine disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 22, 2017
- Citation
- 1723731
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 1723731.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for a VA examination and medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's low back disorder and bilateral hip disorder are related to his service-connected Crohn's disease.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disorder, skin disorder, tongue condition, right chest costochondritis, and right hand shaking due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his active military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that side effects from prescribed medications contributed substantially and materially to his accidental motorcycle collision resulting in fatal injuries.
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