The Board has remanded the case due to a pre-decisional error in not obtaining a medical opinion on the etiology of the diagnosed dextroscoliosis and mild degenerative thoracic spondylosis. The Veteran's back condition is related to service, but it was aggravated by a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was a pre-decisional error in not obtaining a medical opinion on the etiology of the diagnosed dextroscoliosis and mild degenerative thoracic spondylosis.
- Claimed conditions
- mild dextroscoliosis, mild degenerative thoracic spondylosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2020
- Citation
- A20016280
Veterans Law Judge
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 A20016280.
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 remanded the case for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current back disability is related to his in-service fall off a military vehicle, which caused him to develop degenerative changes of the discs and vertebrae, and other chronic back disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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