The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's low back disorder is related to service. The VA must provide a new opinion that addresses these issues.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not adequately address the issue of whether the Veteran's congenital disease first manifested prior to service or if it was aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20005533
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 claim for a low back disorder to correct duty to assist errors, as the previous VA examinations and opinions are inadequate.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hearing loss, psychiatric disorder, neck disorder, and radiculopathy of both upper and lower extremities to correct duty-to-assist errors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of a disability rating for a low back disorder and entitlement to TDIU due to non-compliance with previous remand directives.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back disorder, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity on a secondary basis, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity on a secondary basis.
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