The Veteran's request to reopen the finally disallowed claim of entitlement to service connection for a low back condition is granted. The Board finds that new and material evidence has been received since the August 2003 rating decision, which relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the merits of the claim of service connection for a low back condition. Issues related to compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for dissociative disorder (claimed as psycho-neuropathy) and residuals of a neck injury are also remanded due to lack of an opinion on the cause or nature of any additional disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board cannot make fully informed decisions on these issues without further examination and opinions regarding the Veteran's current conditions and their relationship to service, as well as the potential causes of any additional disabilities resulting from VA treatment.
- Claimed conditions
- low back condition, dissociative disorder (claimed as psycho-neuropathy), residuals of a neck injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19116278
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 19116278.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and other benefits, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or additional compensation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of a low back condition to obtain an adequate medical opinion, as the presumption of soundness has not been rebutted.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back condition, finding that the Veteran's current disability had its clinical onset during his active duty service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back condition, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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