The Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection of a back disability is granted. Service connection for the same condition is denied. The issue of service connection for a neck condition, which is secondary to a back problem with pinched nerve, is remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on direct service connection for the neck condition.
- Claimed conditions
- back condition, neck condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19164010
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 19164010.
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 claim for service connection for a back condition, finding no evidence of a nexus between the in-service incident and the current disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a back condition, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's current back disability and his active-duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a back condition, right and left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, neck condition, upper extremity radiculopathy, bilateral flatfoot, right foot plantar fasciitis, and right ankle pain, as the current evidence is inadequate to make a decision.
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