The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and unclear etiology. The Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, as well as his peripheral neuropathy, are presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s radiculopathy is not directly related to service but may have been caused or aggravated by his lumbar or cervical spine disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral disc disease, degenerative joint disease (DJD), cervical DJD, radiculopathy of the bilateral upper extremities, left leg numbness, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20047786
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 20047786.
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 claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding the Veteran's exposure to mercury in dental amalgams and asbestos during service. A VA medical opinion is needed to determine if these exposures are related to his claimed disabilities.
- Dismissed
The appeal concerning earlier effective dates for service connection and disability ratings has been dismissed.,No new evidence or arguments were provided to support the claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The Board finds the evidence insufficient to grant service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, prostate condition, headaches, IBS, behavioral neurology conditions, and acquired psychological condition due to exposure at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has identified a pre-decisional duty to assist error and is remanding the claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to the Veteran's claim being raised prior to December 2024, despite not being adjudicated in that decision.
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