The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for Raynaud's phenomenon, multiple sclerosis with adjustment disorder, and lumbar strain due to service-connected multiple sclerosis. The Veteran needs new examinations to determine the current severity of his conditions and an addendum opinion regarding whether his back condition is related to his service-connected multiple sclerosis.
The deciding factor: The Board found inconsistencies in the examiner's opinions and remanded for further examination and clarification.
- Claimed conditions
- Raynaud's phenomenon, multiple sclerosis with adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, lumbar strain status post lumbar surgery with scarring and status post cervical surgery with scarring
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19197090
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 19197090.
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 an effective date prior to November 1, 2021, for the award of a 40 percent rating for Raynaud's phenomenon.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for Raynaud's phenomenon as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypothyroidism.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection and initial rating of several conditions, including CREST scleroderma, Raynaud's phenomenon, generalized anxiety disorder, and tachycardia.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a higher rating for Raynaud's phenomenon to obtain an adequate medical opinion addressing conflicting evidence in the record.
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