The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to outstanding VA treatment records and conflicting medical opinions. The Veteran will need to provide updated VA treatment records, VistA Imaging records, and information regarding his in-service stressors. He will also be provided with VA examinations for his lumbar spine disability, sleep disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and bipolar disorder), nasal polyps, and chronic sinus headaches.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there were outstanding VA treatment records and conflicting medical opinions which required further development to make a fully-informed decision on the Veteran's claims.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disability, sleep disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and bipolar disorder), nasal polyposis sinusitis endoscopic nasal surgery residuals (nasal polyps), chronic sinus headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2018
- Citation
- 18123200
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 18123200.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was granted with an initial evaluation of 50 percent, effective September 24, 2007. The appeal regarding the heart condition and sleep disorder is denied. The Veteran's hearing loss prior to August 24, 2015, warrants a 20 percent rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ did not obtain all necessary opinions regarding whether the Veteran's symptoms are related to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI). The claims for service connection for fatigue, fibromyalgia, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, and sleep disorder are remanded for further development.
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