The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted in August 2014 were inadequate and remanded for further examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's back, neck, TBI, and psychiatric conditions. The issues have been returned to the RO for additional development.
The deciding factor: The Board found the previous VA examinations insufficient due to lack of consideration of recent medical records and the Veteran’s statements regarding his injuries and symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- lower back pain, neck pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), an acquired psychiatric disorder (excluding other specified trauma, stress related), to include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20064480
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 granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, right wrist strain, and TBI. The Veteran's PTSD rating was remanded for further development.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal requests for service connection and increased ratings were denied due to untimeliness, as the appeals were not filed within one year of the respective rating decisions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back pain, knee and wrist joint pains, neck pain, anxiety, depression, as further development is needed to properly adjudicate these claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for chronic diarrhea, headaches, and neck pain for initial adjudication on the merits by the AOJ.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.