The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient development and evaluation of his conditions. The initial compensable rating claim is denied, and the thoracolumbar spine disability claim is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not meet the criteria for a moderate or more severe muscle injury as defined by VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Residual scars from stab wounds, Muscle Group XXI injury resulting from a left lateral thorax stab wound, Degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19164900
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 19164900.
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 service connection for degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine and cervical spine, finding that the evidence was approximately balanced as to whether these conditions were caused by an injury or event during active service.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine, finding that August 10, 2023, is the earliest available date based on the Veteran's claim.
- Dismissed
The motion to reverse or revise a May 2018 Board of Veterans' Appeals decision on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) was dismissed as moot because the Court had already affirmed the Board's decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied as the evidence does not show he is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.
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