The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition is reopened, but the case is remanded to obtain private treatment records and schedule an examination.
The deciding factor: New evidence has been received that relates to the unestablished fact of whether the Veteran's current back conditions are related to his active duty service. The case requires further development with obtaining private medical records and scheduling a VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease of the Back
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 24, 2021
- Citation
- 21031534
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 21031534.
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 Board has granted earlier effective dates of February 14, 2013 for the Veteran's right hip limitation of abduction and left hip limitation of abduction, both rated at 20%.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back and right shoulder disabilities, finding no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the issue of service connection for PTSD. Service connection was granted for Degenerative Joint Disease of the Back, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Hip, and Degenerative Joint Disease of the Right Hip.
- Granted
The Veteran has been granted service connection for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, but his claims for back, right knee, and left knee disabilities have not met the criteria for service connection.
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