The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disability and memory loss due to undiagnosed illness, as additional development is needed. Specifically, the National Archives and Records Administration must be contacted to obtain VA Medical Center records from 1997 to 1999 in Marion, Indiana.
The deciding factor: The Joint Motion found that the duty to assist was not satisfied due to missing VAMC records from 1997 to 1999 and requested their retrieval.
- Claimed conditions
- back disability with manifestations to include ankylosing spondylitis, degenerative disc disease, degenerative joint disease, sacroiliitis and residual back pain; body and muscle pain; arm numbness; a skin rash; chronic fatigue; shortness of breath; headaches; chest pain; and a sleep disorder, memory loss
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2018
- Citation
- 18113091
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 18113091.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current disability related to residuals of a heat stroke, claimed as memory loss. The claims for service connection for a back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to a duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found new and relevant evidence for the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a heart disorder, and a seizure disorder. The AOJ is required to readjudicate these issues in the first instance.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for various conditions and ratings have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal prior to a decision being made.
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