The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed residuals of chest injury and the current severity of his service-connected scarring in his chest. The TDIU issue is also being remanded.
The deciding factor: The decision was not about reopening or new evidence, but rather about further development due to conflicting medical opinions and a need for additional examination.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of chest injury, scarring in chest
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20080073
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20080073.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and additional development is required.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to provide necessary assistance in substantiating his claims, including scheduling VA examinations for the thoracolumbar and cervical spine disorders and residuals of chest injury.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability and chest injury, finding that there is insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including residuals of head trauma and chest injury, were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.