The Veteran's claim is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine if he has any additional disability as a result of his in-service pilonidal cyst excision surgery and whether that disability was caused by the care provided by VA.
The deciding factor: The Board found the June 2016 VA examination inadequate and remanded for another examination to evaluate the Veteran's § 1151 claim and determine if he has any additional disability resulting from his in-service pilonidal cyst removal procedure, including chronic back pain.
- Claimed conditions
- pilonidal cyst removal, chronic lower back pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19190870
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 19190870.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for back disability due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically the failure to obtain relevant private treatment records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and to ensure that due process is followed, as the previous examinations did not fully comply with VA's duty to assist requirements.
- Dismissed
The appeal regarding the duty to assist error in the Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic lower back pain is dismissed.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for anxiety and chronic lower back pain but granted service connection for tinnitus and unspecified depressive disorder. Bilateral hearing loss was also denied.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.