The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current back disability had its onset during service or is otherwise related to a disease or injury during service. The Veteran contends that his misdiagnosed symptoms in service were actually related to his current lumbar spine DDD.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's current back disability was related to service, including whether it was misdiagnosed in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD), lumbar spine, status post spinal fusion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19146760
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 19146760.
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 an earlier effective date and service connection for sleep apnea, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the prior rating decisions and no evidence linking the sleep apnea to service or a service-connected disability.
- Granted
The veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but remanded other claims related to obstructive sleep apnea, bladder condition, left knee disability, degenerative disc disease, bilateral hearing loss, and right shoulder disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for further development, including an examination to address potential neurological symptoms related to the Veteran's service-connected back condition.
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