The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a neck condition and right ankle condition due to incomplete development. The decision on whether to grant or deny these claims will be determined after further review.
The deciding factor: The Board found that new evidence had been submitted but did not relate to the unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim, thus failing to meet the criteria for reopening the previously denied claims of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, Right ankle condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2021
- Citation
- 21003507
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 21003507.
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 service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, finding that there is no nexus between the current disability and active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding whether the Veteran's current conditions are aggravated by his service-connected DDD of the lumbosacral spine. The AOJ is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing this issue.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has prevented him from securing and maintaining gainful employment throughout the appeal period, leading to a grant of TDIU. The issue of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome was withdrawn by the appellant.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities prior to October 22, 2008 are being remanded due to the need for additional retrospective medical opinions.
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