The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine condition and headache condition, including considering all theories of entitlement.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions are inadequate as they did not consider the Veteran’s lay evidence regarding the onset of his conditions and the relationship between service and these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine condition, Headache condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20080572
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal was withdrawn by the Veteran before the Board promulgated a decision.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine condition and dismissed the claim for PTSD, while denying claims for radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, TBI rating increase, status post right knee meniscectomy rating increase, and scar rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine condition, chronic headaches, chronic sinusitis, major depressive disorder (MDD), and a skin condition to fulfill statutory duties related to toxic exposure risk activities.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including radiculopathy of the left upper and lower extremities, bilateral knee scars, a headache condition, and lumbosacral strain.
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.