The Board has decided the case in favor of the Veteran, finding that his preexisting scoliosis and lower back pain may have been aggravated by service or a service-connected right ankle disorder. However, due to insufficient evidence, the decision is remanded for further examination and analysis.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide sufficient information regarding whether the Veteran's pre-existing conditions clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service or were aggravated during service.
- Claimed conditions
- scoliosis, lower back pain
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19195385
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 19195385.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lower back pain, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the condition and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for lower back pain to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding its etiology.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance, as her need for assistance is not solely due to service-connected disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD due to personal trauma, denied an increased rating for tinnitus, and denied service connection for bipolar disorder, hemorrhoids, lower back pain, and left knee pain.
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