The Veteran's appeal for service connection for borderline personality disorder is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the prior diagnoses from early in the appeal period.,The Veteran's appeal for increased evaluations of his lumbar spine disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is remanded because retrospective medical opinions are needed for the entire appeal period.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner used speculative language when discussing the prior diagnoses from early in the appeal period, and did not adequately address whether the Veteran's borderline personality disorder was subject to a superimposed disease or injury during service.,VA medical opinions are needed for the entire appeal period regarding the ranges of motion and additional functional impairment of the lumbar spine and severity of bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Claimed conditions
- borderline personality disorder, degenerative joint disease and disc disease of the lumbar spine (lumbar spine disability), right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18127745
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 18127745.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
- 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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and denied the claims for right knee disability, erectile dysfunction, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The decision is remanded for further action on these issues.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for middle and index trigger finger/stenosing tenosynovitis of the right hand, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The earliest effective date is June 30, 2012, for the right hand condition and April 22, 2016, for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.