The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition due to new and material evidence, but the case is remanded for further examination.
The deciding factor: New and material evidence was received that pertains to a previously unestablished element of the claim (service connection).
- Claimed conditions
- back pain in upper back, pain in lower back, upper and lower back condition
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 3, 2021
- Citation
- 21026570
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 21026570.
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 Board dismissed all requests to reopen service connection claims for various conditions due to the Veteran's representative withdrawing the appeal in August 2020.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the back was previously denied in September 2013. New evidence submitted since then does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for upper and lower back, left knee, and tinnitus conditions due to incomplete documentation of VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and scheduling a VA joints examination to determine if any diagnosed back or knee condition is related to service or the service-connected lumbar spine condition.
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