The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any currently present back disabilities, including lumbosacral segment dysfunction, sacral somatic dysfunction, and thoracic segmental dysfunction. The Veteran's service records do not show an in-service injury, but her post-service treatment records indicate ongoing symptoms.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner used the Veteran’s December 6, 1990 examination as evidence that she did not experience an in-service injury in December 1990.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral segment dysfunction, sacral somatic dysfunction, thoracic segmental dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 8, 2018
- Citation
- 18109579
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 18109579.
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 Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error, and the case is inextricably intertwined with his TDIU claim.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The VA determined that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his herniated disc at L5-S1 or radiculopathy of the left lower extremity prior to January 19, 2012, and cervical spine DDD.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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