The Board has ordered remand for additional development due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for retrospective findings regarding the Veteran's neck and back disabilities.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for further examination and evaluation of the Veteran's cervical and thoracic/lumbosacral spine conditions, including consideration of functional loss during flare-ups and repeated use over time.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine strain, Thoracic/lumbosacral spine osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2019
- Citation
- 19196675
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 19196675.
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 increased ratings for cervical and thoracolumbar spine strains, TMJ disorder, dermatitis of the face, right knee chondromalacia grade II with patellar tendonitis, medial meniscal derangement, and Baker's cyst, and bilateral hearing loss. However, service connection was granted for radicular pain paresthesia of the right upper extremity.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Agoraphobia as well as cervical spine strain, right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right and left lower extremity radiculopathy. A 40 percent rating was assigned for gastritis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted increased initial ratings for cervical spine strain and cervicothoracic radiculopathy of both upper extremities, as well as service connection for right hand and wrist pain. The left hand disability was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine strain, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under the applicable criteria.
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