The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for upper back disability, left leg strain, and right leg strain to include as secondary to a service-connected disability due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to provide a rationale for the conclusion that the Veteran's claimed disabilities were not proximately due to or aggravated by fibromyalgia.
- Claimed conditions
- upper back disability, left leg strain, right leg strain
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2021
- Citation
- 21072749
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 21072749.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection of a left leg disability is reopened, and the appeal is granted.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, remanded claims for service connection for an upper back disability and headaches, and remanded the claim for a compensable rating for left recurrent corneal erosion syndrome.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hip and knee disabilities, but denied service connection for an upper back disability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, an upper back disability, and a thoracolumbar spine disability as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active or Reserve service.
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.