The Board has determined that further development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records and unclear diagnoses. The Veteran will need to undergo additional VA examinations to clarify his conditions and determine their relationship to service.
The deciding factor: Further examination is required to provide a clear understanding of the Veteran's current conditions and their relation to service.
- Claimed conditions
- lower back pain, left arm numbness, left hand numbness, left leg disorder (uncontrollable shaking), frequent falls, loss of ability to stand long, unable to bend (left leg), unable to lift any weight, pronounced left side weakness, neck disorder (fatigue and soreness), bladder disorder (loss of bladder control), psychiatric disorder, loss of ability to walk unaided
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2021
- Citation
- 21064024
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 21064024.
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 decided to remand the case due to a need for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's lower back pain.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded all issues for further development, including verification of the Veteran's service dates and consideration of any newly identified periods of service.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and SMC based on housebound status and aid and attendance, with the initial decisions being in February and June 2023. The appellant is eligible to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in September 2024.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of psychiatric disorder. Service connection was granted for heart condition, throat condition, and hypertension due to herbicide exposure in Japan. Diabetes condition is denied as there is no evidence of treatment or diagnosis.
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