The Veteran's claim for service connection for a brain condition is remanded due to inconsistencies in the opinions provided by VA examiners and the need for further clarification of the relationship between his reported in-service event and his current diagnoses.
The deciding factor: There are conflicting medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's current brain conditions, including mega cisterna magna vs arachnoid cyst and mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), are related to service, particularly the incident involving an IED explosion in Iraq in 2004.
- Claimed conditions
- mega cisterna magna vs arachnoid cyst, mild traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2021
- Citation
- 21029559
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 21029559.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's disability rating for mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) was improperly reduced from 40 percent to 0 percent. The Board has restored the 40 percent rating effective February 1, 2018.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's appeal to restore a 40 percent disability rating for mild TBI, effective January 1, 2023. The reduction was deemed proper due to the veteran's failure to attend scheduled examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) prior to August 31, 2020 is being remanded due to the need for a retrospective medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with prior remand directives and insufficient medical opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's TBI prior to August 31, 2020. The Veteran was not given an opportunity to be interviewed by the examiner.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.