The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, hearing loss, tinnitus, right leg L4-L5 rami-irritability (claimed as secondary to a low back disability), and depression due to incomplete records and lack of medical opinions regarding service connection.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there are outstanding VA treatment records and Social Security Administration records which need to be obtained, and also noted the need for additional medical opinions on the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine disorder, Lumbar spine disorder, Hearing loss, Tinnitus, Right leg L4-L5 rami-irritability (claimed as secondary to a low back disability), Depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 14, 2018
- Citation
- 18158112
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 18158112.
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 service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient findings regarding PTSD and depression, requiring a new VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and psychiatric disorder due to incomplete information. The Veteran needs to provide his complete service personnel records, verify his alleged combat experience in Vietnam, and undergo VA examinations for both conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service.
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