The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine condition and its relation to service. The Veteran will need to provide VA treatment records from 2009 to present, as well as a medical opinion on whether his current back condition is related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the existing evidence was insufficient to establish a direct relationship between the Veteran's lumbar spine condition and his military service, including physical demands during combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The case has been remanded for further development and an opinion on this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 13, 2021
- Citation
- 21042413
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21042413.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder condition and a lumbar spine condition, finding that these conditions first manifested in service and are related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder condition, left knee condition, lumbar spine condition (as secondary to left knee condition), right knee condition (as secondary to left knee condition), posttraumatic stress disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea (secondary to service-connected disabilities with obesity as an intermediary step).,The Board found the evidence persuasive in favor of granting service connection for these conditions.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of tinnitus, anxiety disorder, left hamstring tear, bilateral hearing loss, left knee condition, and lumbar spine condition due to improper concurrent election.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases of acute intermittent tension headaches and lumbar spine condition for further action due to errors in notice.
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.