The Veteran's interstitial cystitis is rated as 40 percent disabling, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted. The low back disability and gastrointestinal conditions are remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for any of the claimed conditions based on exposure to contaminated water in Korea or other service-related factors.
- Claimed conditions
- Interstitial cystitis, Low back disorder (degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome, spinal stenosis), Large intestine removal, Colon polyps, Chronic ulcerative colitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20069842
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 claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on either incapacitating episodes or unfavorable ankylosis.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection back disorder, as due to clear and unmistakable error (CUE), was dismissed because the appeal request was not timely filed.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome based on the Veteran's continuous symptoms since service.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of August 26, 2021, for the award of service connection for lumbosacral strain and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy with sciatic nerve involvement.
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