The Veteran's claim for service connection for congenital fusion of C2-3 and degenerative changes at C6-7 with claimed paresthesia, left hand, to include as secondary to IVDS is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error. A VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's congenital cervical disability has been aggravated by his service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome.
The deciding factor: The claim was not properly addressed because the Veteran was not provided with a VA medical examination to assess whether his congenital cervical disability has been aggravated by his service-connected IVDS.
- Claimed conditions
- Congenital fusion of C2-3, Degenerative changes at C6-7
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 27, 2019
- Citation
- A19001013
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 A19001013.
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
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