The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion and missing treatment records. The Veteran's back condition is related to service, but a new VA examination is needed.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on an inadequate VA examiner's opinion that did not consider all relevant evidence including the Veteran's lay statements of continued symptoms since service.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19179282
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for separate awards of service connection for left knee instability and right knee instability.
- Granted
The Board granted disability ratings of 40 percent for right shoulder impingement syndrome, 30 percent for left shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tear, and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, 30 percent for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, 40 percent for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, and 30 percent for right knee patellar chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis, but not higher.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for rhinitis, right hip strain, and left ankle strain but dismissed the claim for sinusitis as moot. The increased rating claim for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine was denied.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.