The Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and right-hand injury have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The claim for right-hand injury has also been reopened.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the August 2013 VA examiner opinion was inadequate as it did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms during service and since discharge, nor did it take into account other pertinent evidence of record.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"low back disability"}, {"condition_name":"right-hand injury"}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19196662
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 19196662.
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
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 20, 2023 for a 70 percent rating for service-connected PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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