The Board has determined that the issues of service connection for a low back disability and posttraumatic stress disorder are intertwined with the resolution of whether the character of the appellant’s discharge from June 3, 1986 to September 18, 1992 constitutes a bar to VA benefits. The appeal is remanded due to insufficient records regarding the Veteran's discharge proceedings.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the issues are intertwined and require additional development of records related to the character of the appellant’s discharge from June 3, 1986 to September 18, 1992.
- Claimed conditions
- low_back_disability, posttraumatic_stress_disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 21, 2021
- Citation
- 21024016
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 21024016.
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 has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is not related to his service, including an incident where a water tank fell on his leg and foot during training. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, left thumb disability, heart condition, hypertension, right and left knee disabilities, peripheral neuropathies in the upper and lower extremities, migraine headaches, and psychiatric disorder. The decision found that there was no evidence of continuity of symptoms or a nexus to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is granted a 40% rating. The initial compensable ratings for hysterectomy and hysterectomy scar are denied, as well as the effective dates for service connection for these conditions. The Veteran also has an increased rating for herpes, but no earlier effective date was granted.
- Granted
The Board has granted an earlier effective date of March 24, 2019 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This decision is based on the Veteran's intent to file a claim within one year of her initial submission.
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