The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for residuals of an injury to the cervical spine, residuals of an injury to the lumbar spine, asthenopia, and increased rating for chronic headache. The claims are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional medical opinions are needed to determine whether the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his service-connected conditions or events.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of an injury to the cervical spine, residuals of an injury to the lumbar spine, asthenopia, chronic headache
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 19, 2018
- Citation
- 18136489
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 18136489.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic headaches secondary to major depressive disorder was denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea secondary to major depressive disorder and obesity (as an intermediate step) is remanded.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection of a chronic headache disability, neck disability, and increased rating greater than 20 percent for back disability. The Veteran was granted an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD with cannabis use disorder, effective April 14, 2015.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for chronic cough, acid reflux, and a chronic headache condition due to non-compliance with prior remand directives. The Veteran's conditions are being evaluated again by VA clinicians.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic headache is granted as the evidence shows a relationship between his in-service motor vehicle accident and his current headaches.
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