The Board has ordered a new VA examination to address the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder. The examiner is required to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's current disability is related to his military service, particularly as it relates to an incident where he attempted to rescue a pilot from a crashed aircraft aboard the U.S.S. Midway.
The deciding factor: The Board ordered a new VA examination because the previous one was inadequate for adjudication purposes and did not address the Veteran's lay statements or supporting evidence with respect to his claimed cervical spine injury in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical disc disease, Spinal fusion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2018
- Citation
- 1827177
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1827177.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the lumbar spine disability prior to October 11, 2022 and since December 1, 2022. The Veteran's claim is currently rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 5242.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cervical strain with spinal fusion is rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied an increased rating.,The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied an increased rating.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for his lumbar spine condition and left lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to incomplete service records and a lack of relevant VA treatment records. The Board will seek additional opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for spinal fusion and prior to November 2, 2023, granted ratings of 40%, 60%, and 30% for left lumbar radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, right lumbar radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, and left lumbar radiculopathy of the femoral nerve respectively. For periods after November 2, 2023, it denied ratings in excess of 20% for all conditions.
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