The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity. The issues of service connection for degenerative arthritis (DA) of the lumbar spine and hiatal hernia remain unresolved.
The deciding factor: There is conflicting evidence on whether the Veteran’s current radiculopathy is related to his in-service complaints and treatment, necessitating further examination or opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis (DA) of the lumbar spine, Hiatal hernia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19104626
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea, a left knee disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hiatal hernia, and diverticulitis. A 30 percent rating was also granted for the Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder effective February 26, 2021.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral cataracts and noncompensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and maxillary and frontal sinusitis, while granting a 30 percent rating for hiatal hernia.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a right shoulder condition diagnosed as bicipital tendonitis and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, and an initial rating of 30 percent for sinusitis. The claims for acid reflux, hiatal hernia, and esophagitis were remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's effective date for TDIU and DEA benefits was granted from March 6, 2018.
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