The Board has decided to remand the case for a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current thoracolumbar disability, including whether it preexisted service or is related to active duty.
The deciding factor: The Board found that further development is necessary due to the inadequacy of the previous VA examination and the need to address both the appellant's contentions regarding preexistence and aggravation.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracolumbar disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 25, 2020
- Citation
- 20042955
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 20042955.
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 Board has granted service connection for a thoracolumbar disability, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy (left and right), and bilateral hearing loss. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service symptoms and medical records showing continuity of symptomatology.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of evidence supporting his allegations of disabilities, with some issues being remanded for further review.
- Denied
The Veteran's thoracolumbar disability was previously denied a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to June 7, 2021 and is now denied a higher rating effective June 7, 2021.,Entitlement to OSA service connection is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that it had its onset during service or due to exposure to environmental hazards in the Persian Gulf.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the appellant's thoracolumbar disability. The claim will be further developed with an addendum medical opinion.
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