The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and TDIU are being remanded due to concerns about the competency of the medical examiner who performed his cervical spine surgery in November 2004.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that additional information is needed regarding the qualifications of the physician who performed the Veteran's cervical spine surgery, as challenges have been raised by the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- left arm, hand, neck
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20047561
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 20047561.
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 Veteran's service-connected neck, back, and migraines required care or assistance from his wife on a regular basis to protect him from hazards in his daily environment.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals because they were not filed within one year of the rating decisions, and no good cause was provided for the delay.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for TDIU prior to January 30, 2018 is dismissed as the Board has already granted TDIU from April 29, 2015 based on the earliest possible effective date.
- Remanded (sent back)
New evidence has been received to reconsider the service connection claims for various disabilities, including right arm, head, left knee, left shoulder, lower back, neck, and right foot. The Board is remanding these cases for further review.
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