The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the low back and neuropathy of the left leg as secondary to a service-connected disability, due to an inadequate medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The previous medical opinions did not address whether the Veteran's lower back condition was proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected knee condition, which is required for a secondary service connection claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the low back, Neuropathy of the left leg (also claimed as nerve damage, left leg)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2021
- Citation
- 21061685
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back and left leg conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for degenerative joint disease of the low back, as the severity of the disorder did not approximate findings which would support a higher evaluation.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
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