The Board has determined that the Veteran's neck condition existed prior to service and is not aggravated by in-service activities. The case is being remanded for an addendum opinion from a clinician regarding whether the pre-existing condition was aggravated during active duty.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran’s pre-existing neck condition clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service, but needed additional clarification on whether it was aggravated by in-service activities.
- Claimed conditions
- neck condition disability (including cervical strain, intervertebral disc syndrome, and degenerative joint disease)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19129848
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,188 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19129848.
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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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Granted
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