The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of C5-C6 is secondary to her service-connected lumbago.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether the cervical spine condition was caused or aggravated by the service-connected lumbago, which is required for a decision.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of C5-C6
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20035030
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 20035030.
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.
- Denied
The rating reduction from 30 percent to 20 percent for cervical spine disability was improper, and the 30 percent rating is restored. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability and left leg radiculopathy were denied.
- Granted
The Board finds that the veteran's currently diagnosed chronic cervical strain, muscle spasm, and degenerative disc disease of C5-C6 are etiologically related to service. The residuals of head injury are not currently demonstrated.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
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