The Veteran's upper back and middle back disabilities are not service-connected.,The Board has determined that the issues of entitlement to service connection for an upper back disability and a middle back disability must be remanded.
The deciding factor: Service treatment records show treatment for back complaints, but no specific diagnoses or findings related to upper back or middle back disabilities. Post-service medical records indicate ongoing treatment for various back conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Upper Back Disability, Middle Back Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20042563
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 20042563.
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 Veteran's claim for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for a right knee strain and service connection for an upper back disability have been denied due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for traumatic brain injury, chronic headaches, left ear hearing loss, chronic sinusitis, left elbow disability, middle back disability, low back disability, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), dysentery, left hip disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, left lower extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, left foot disability, and right foot disability due to incomplete records from his National Guard service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for entitlement to service connection for right elbow, right shoulder, upper back, and lower back disabilities due to inadequate VA medical opinions.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for a Traumatic Brain Injury and an Upper Back Disability have been denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions, nor any evidence linking them to his military service.,Service connection was not granted because the medical evidence did not support a link between the claimed disabilities and service.
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