The Board remands the claims for service connection for a neck condition, low back condition, and left shoulder condition due to inadequate VA examination opinions.
The deciding factor: The prior VA examinations failed to consider the Veteran's competent lay testimony regarding his injuries after the motor vehicle accident and did not comply with the Board's directives.
- Claimed conditions
- neck condition, low back condition, left shoulder condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2020
- Citation
- 20064208
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 Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and other benefits, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or additional compensation.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a left shoulder condition, finding that the Veteran's current disability is related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of a low back condition to obtain an adequate medical opinion, as the presumption of soundness has not been rebutted.
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