The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for a low back disorder, as it was not adequately addressed in previous VA examinations and there are outstanding records from the Veteran's first period of active duty. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether any of the diagnosed low back disorders were incurred or aggravated during periods of ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the January 2021 VA examiner’s opinions regarding the etiology and aggravation of the Veteran's low back disorder were inadequate, requiring a new examination to provide more specific and comprehensive analysis.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disorder, DDD (Degenerative Disc Disease)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2021
- Citation
- 21013632
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 21013632.
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 claims for a VA examination and medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's low back disorder and bilateral hip disorder are related to his service-connected Crohn's disease.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disorder, skin disorder, tongue condition, right chest costochondritis, and right hand shaking due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that side effects from prescribed medications contributed substantially and materially to his accidental motorcycle collision resulting in fatal injuries.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis, lumbar retrolisthesis, a vertebral fracture, and DDD (back disability), as well as right and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the back disability. The decision is based on evidence showing an in-service fall causing a back injury that led to current diagnoses.
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