The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's cervical strain and his service-connected lumbar spine condition, as well as the onset of any diagnosed arthritis within one year post-service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address the issue of potential aggravation or the timing of any arthritis diagnosis, which is necessary to determine if service connection can be granted.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19189976
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 19189976.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal was withdrawn by the Veteran before the Board promulgated a decision.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine condition and dismissed the claim for PTSD, while denying claims for radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, TBI rating increase, status post right knee meniscectomy rating increase, and scar rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine condition, chronic headaches, chronic sinusitis, major depressive disorder (MDD), and a skin condition to fulfill statutory duties related to toxic exposure risk activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an increased rating for thoracic strain with spondylosis and service connection for a cervical spine condition due to inadequate VA examinations.
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