The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a low back disability, cervical spine disability (to include as secondary to a low back disability), left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to insufficient information in previous opinions. A supplemental opinion is needed to address the Veteran's reports of self-treatment after discharge.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous opinions did not provide sufficient information for determining whether the Veteran's current lumbar and/or cervical spine disorders are consistent with the nature of the active duty injury he described, including his self-treatment after service discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disability, Cervical spine disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2022
- Citation
- 22002157
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 22002157.
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 Veteran's service-connected low back disability alone does not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, the maximum rating available under the General Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The evidence does not support a higher rating as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hip disability, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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