The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disorder is secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus. The VA needs to obtain updated treatment records and an addendum opinion from a clinician.
The deciding factor: The decision was remanded because the previous opinions did not adequately address the theories of entitlement, particularly regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected foot condition aggravated his spine disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar spine disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20004148
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for a thoracolumbar spine disorder and bilateral knee disorders due to the need for additional VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, thoracolumbar spine disorder, and left hip disorder as they are inextricably intertwined with each other.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disorder, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss due to pre-decisional errors in verifying the Veteran's periods of service and obtaining necessary evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support higher or additional ratings.
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