The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for low back disability and hypertension due to incomplete service treatment records, inadequate VA examination reports, and lack of continuity of symptoms documentation. The RO is tasked with obtaining missing records from her second period of active duty service, locating in-service chiropractic care records, scheduling a new VA examination, and considering the credibility of her lay statements regarding low back pain.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there are gaps in the Veteran's service treatment records, particularly for her second period of active duty service. The VA examinations provided conflicting opinions on whether the Veteran has IVDS or degenerative disc disease related to service. Additionally, the Veteran's lay statements regarding continuous low back pain since service were not adequately addressed.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disability, Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2021
- Citation
- 21064649
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 21064649.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected low back disability alone does not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
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