The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of various lower and upper extremity disorders, as well as a left shoulder disorder, to allow for additional development. The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disorder is found to be at least as likely as not related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner will need to determine the etiology of each diagnosed condition and whether it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by a service-connected thoracolumbar spine disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracolumbar spine disorder, Left leg or left ankle disorder, Right wrist disorder, Right knee disorder, Right arm disorder, Neuropathy of the lower extremities, Radiculopathy of the upper extremities, Left shoulder disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 14, 2018
- Citation
- 18158375
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 18158375.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the initial ratings assigned for psoriatic arthritis of the upper and lower extremities, as well as service connection for a cervical spine disorder, need to be remanded due to incomplete evidence. The Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ADT) and inactive duty for training (IDT) must be confirmed, and all relevant medical records should be obtained.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and TDIU due to duty to assist errors that occurred prior to the rating decision on appeal. The Veteran's right knee disorder is being remanded for an addendum opinion regarding its etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an error in notifying the Veteran of his right to a hearing, and not because of any issues with service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and needs additional medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right wrist disorder.
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