The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's thoracic back strain, including service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities as secondary to his lumbar spine disability. The claims are also remanded for additional examinations to assess the severity of the Veteran's post traumatic headaches and right shoulder strain.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current VA examination reports were inadequate, particularly regarding the assessment of functional loss due to flare-ups and other symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracic back strain, Peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, Post traumatic headaches, Right shoulder strain, Scar of the right shoulder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20007032
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,092 · Granted: 42% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20007032.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral lower extremity neuropathy due to diabetes mellitus, have resulted in loss of use of both lower extremities. The Board has granted eligibility for specially adapted housing and dismissed the claim for a special home adaptation grant as moot.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) as there is no evidence that he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, requiring clarification on whether the Veteran's left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is early-onset and if it is related to Agent Orange exposure during service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected conditions leave her in need of regular aid and attendance, which is granted for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
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