The Board has remanded three issues related to service connection: chronic sinusitis, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and headaches. The reasons for this are that the Veteran's complete service records, including his periods of active duty for training and inactive duty training in the Army Reserve, need to be verified and obtained.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran’s complete service records, particularly those related to his period of service in the Army Reserve from 1972 to 1989, are needed to determine his periods of active duty for training and inactive duty training. These records may contain information regarding his dates of service and conditions on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic sinusitis, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004559
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 granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a deviated septum and denied compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, hypothyroidism, and hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an increased initial disability evaluation of headaches due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
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