The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the onset of the Veteran's neck disorder during service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address the Veteran’s contention that in-service headaches were related to or manifestations of his current neck disorder, and dismissed the Veteran's contentions regarding ongoing symptoms since service without providing a rationale for why the absence of medical records is medically significant.
- Claimed conditions
- neck disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20073764
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 earlier effective dates and increased ratings, as well as higher levels of special monthly compensation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a neck disorder, hair loss, PTSD, bilateral foot disorder, bilateral arm numbness, and restless body syndrome due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right ankle, left ankle, low back, neck disorders and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as there was no evidence of a current disability or that the claimed conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension, a right knee disorder, a left knee disorder, a neck disorder, and chronic fatigue. The claims for obstructive sleep apnea, headache disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder were remanded.
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