The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and lack of substantial compliance with previous remand orders. The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of breast reduction surgery is being returned for further development.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to provide a clear opinion regarding whether the Veteran’s current complaints are related to her in-service breast reduction surgery, and did not address whether the symptoms predated enlistment.
- Claimed conditions
- breast pain, tenderness, numbness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20001766
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
The Board granted service connection for a left arm disability, to include arthritis and numbness, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for the correction of an error by the AOJ in satisfying a regulatory or statutory duty, specifically failing to provide notice of the Veteran's right to a hearing prior to VA's issuance of a decision.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of a broken jaw was granted for specific periods. The claim for TDIU was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is being reviewed again with additional development of evidence and a new medical opinion.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.