The Veteran's service-connected disabilities of the cervical spine, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and lumbar spine are remanded for additional examinations to assess their current severity. The Veteran is also remanded for service connection on the merits for a left wrist disability, left shoulder tendinitis, and chest pain.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there were possible worsening of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities since his last VA examinations in February 2013, necessitating additional evaluations to determine their current severity.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), Left upper extremity radiculopathy, Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Left wrist disability, Left shoulder tendinitis, Chest pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20000772
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement (NOD) for claims related to an increased rating and service connection, as well as lack of jurisdiction over a previously granted claim for sinusitis.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, thus granting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding VA's obligation to obtain relevant records from the Social Security Administration.
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