The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the appellant has a form or manifestation of spina bifida, other than spina bifida occulta. The VA needs to obtain private treatment records and schedule an examination for the appellant.
The deciding factor: The appellant's spinal condition is unclear due to conflicting diagnoses in her medical history.
- Claimed conditions
- spina bifida, back pain
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20005539
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 veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back pain, knee and wrist joint pains, neck pain, anxiety, depression, as further development is needed to properly adjudicate these claims.
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date prior to January 1, 2020 for the grant of benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1822 for a child born with spina bifida due to the specific statutory effective date set by The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for tinnitus, migraines, left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and back pain to provide proper VCAA notice and further development.
- Dismissed
The Board denied the veteran's appeals for service connection due to untimely filings.
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