The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors, and will consider them again after obtaining VA medical opinions.
The deciding factor: There were duty-to-assist errors in prior decisions that need to be corrected before re-evaluating the service connection claims.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis with discogenic disease and facet arthropathy (lumbar spine disability), left ankle disorder, left foot disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2019
- Citation
- A19002438
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 appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for all service connection and rating issues, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these matters.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for several disorders, granted service connection for tinnitus, and remanded additional claims for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for upper chest wall pain and right sciatic radicular pain, while remanding claims for secondary service connection involving the feet, legs, and ankles.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.