The Veteran's back disability is granted with a 20% rating prior to December 3, 2018. The issue of a higher rating for the back disability remains pending. Service connection for multiple myeloma is remanded due to lack of evidence on exposure basis.
The deciding factor: Service connection for multiple myeloma requires further development and an opinion regarding potential radiation exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of lumbar spine, Multiple myeloma
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19165541
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 19165541.
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 the cause of death, finding that the Veteran's service-connected multiple myeloma contributed substantially or materially to his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of multiple myeloma to obtain additional evidence and an adequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple myeloma, Parkinson's disease, diabetes mellitus type II (DMII), and kidney failure secondary to DMII based on in-service herbicide exposure.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple myeloma and the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that the evidence was in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's multiple myeloma was related to exposure to solvents during his period of active duty service.
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