The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for his lumbar spine disability due to incomplete compliance with previous remand instructions. The claims are being returned to the AOJ for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions and records.
The deciding factor: Incomplete consideration of all relevant evidence and lay assertions in rendering the requested medical opinions may have led to a lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives.
- Claimed conditions
- joint pain, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2021
- Citation
- 21000050
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 21000050.
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 service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, endometriosis, thyroid condition, and chronic fatigue syndrome due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial. The claims are now considered on their merits.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS with GERD, and OSA were denied. The claim for OSA was granted due to the receipt of new evidence showing a current disability.
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