The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's back condition and his in-service fall off a truck.
The deciding factor: The VA examination reports did not address the etiology of the diagnosed compression fracture of the thoracic spine, which is necessary for proper adjudication.
- Claimed conditions
- compression fracture of the thoracic spine, facet joint arthritis with spondylosis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 24, 2018
- Citation
- 18137656
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 18137656.
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 appellant requested to withdraw their appeal, and the Board has dismissed it due to lack of jurisdiction.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded two separate claims for increased ratings: one for a back disability and the other for a right shoulder disability. The Veteran's service records show he served in the U.S. Army from April 1988 to June 1991.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left clavicle fracture, compression fracture of the thoracic spine, and residuals of rib fractures secondary to his service-connected traumatic brain injury (TBI). The evidence did not support that these injuries were related to his TBI.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for further development.
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