The Board has remanded the claims for further development, including VA examinations to address the Veteran's reports of continuing back pain and eye trouble since service.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided were inadequate as they did not adequately consider the Veteran’s contentions regarding continuity of symptoms and self-treatment post-service.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracolumbar spine disability (lumbosacral strain), Residuals of a left eye injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20009848
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 20009848.
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 has decided to remand the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the veteran's current thoracolumbar spine disability and his service, as well as the relationship between any current left eye disability and his in-service injury. The appellant will need to undergo additional examinations to determine these relationships.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left eye injury, as there was no competent medical evidence linking his current eye conditions to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for residuals of a left eye injury and right knee injury, as there was no evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's period of active duty.
- Denied
The veteran's claim for compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a left eye disability due to VA treatment was denied because the evidence did not show additional disability in his left eye from specific VA treatment.
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