The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a VA examination for the Veteran's low back condition, which includes degenerative disc disease and removal of an osteoblastoma. The examiner is requested to review all pertinent records associated with the claims file, including service treatment records and post-service medical records, and provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran’s low back condition is related to his military service, specifically exposure to herbicides.
The deciding factor: The case was remanded due to a lack of a VA examination for the Veteran's low back condition.
- Claimed conditions
- low back pain, mobility issues, degenerative disc disease, removal of osteoblastoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19116566
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 19116566.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a 40 percent disability rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability since September 26, 2024.
- Dismissed
The appeal to reopen the previous denial of service connection for lumbosacral strain is dismissed as the benefit sought has been fully granted.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection and initial ratings were dismissed due to an untimely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) being filed more than one year after the November 2022 rating decision.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a lumbar spine disability was dismissed due to the untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement.
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