The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA opinions regarding whether the Veteran's cervical spine disorder is secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The case will be reviewed again with new VA opinions.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on an inadequate VA opinion that did not adequately address the issue of aggravation.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine disorder, thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, right or left hip degenerative joint disease with limited extension, right or left hip limited flexion, right patellar chondromalacia, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, right hand carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20074794
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 an evaluation greater than 20 percent for right hand carpal tunnel syndrome, as the evidence did not show severe incomplete paralysis of the median nerve.
- Dismissed
The appeal for an increased evaluation for right hand carpal tunnel syndrome is dismissed due to administrative error and the need to proceed in the legacy appeal system.
- Granted
The Board granted a separate rating of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis effective February 1, 2023.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder due to another medical condition with depressive features and generalized anxiety disorder, denied a higher rating for his migraine including migraine variants, and denied ratings for other conditions.
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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.