The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neurogenic bladder condition was previously denied, but new and material evidence has been submitted. The Board has reopened the claim. Service connection for a lumbar spine disability is also remanded due to insufficient medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The decision on service connection for the lumbar spine disability cannot be made without an updated VA examination that addresses the Veteran's in-service back condition and its relation to his current disability.
- Claimed conditions
- neurogenic bladder, mild degenerative disc disease L1-L2, L2-L3 and L5-S1 (lumbar spine disability), scoliosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 10, 2018
- Citation
- 18125533
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 18125533.
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 claim for service connection for a back condition, including degenerative disc disease and scoliosis, due to lack of current disability evidence.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including Parkinson's disease and related disabilities of the upper and lower extremities, have caused loss of use in both hands and need for aid and attendance due to his lower extremity disability, kidney disease, and neurogenic bladder. The Board has granted SMC based on these findings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to deficiencies in the duty to assist, and will require a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's pre-existing scoliosis and/or additional lumbar vertebra clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and whether any increase in severity during service was due to natural progression.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, scoliosis and compression fracture of T5 and L2, cervical strain, herniation to C5-6, and narrowing at C3-5, and right knee strain. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible reports of symptoms during active duty.
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