The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a cervical spine disability due to an inadequate opinion and potential Reserve service records not being fully associated with the file. The case will be reviewed again, including obtaining additional Reserve service records and providing a new medical opinion considering the Veteran's in-service injury.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the prior March 2019 opinion was inadequate and needed to consider the Veteran's contentions regarding his in-service injury as credible for the purposes of the medical opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine (neck) disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2022
- Citation
- 22007975
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 22007975.
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 Veteran's claims for cervical spine, right shoulder, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions. The VA will obtain additional medical opinions that consider all relevant evidence of record, including the Veteran's lay statements.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine, left and right upper extremity neurological disabilities, and headaches are all granted service connection. The back disability is remanded for further review.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for headaches, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability. The Board dismissed these issues as a result.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine (neck) disability, left shoulder disability, and migraines are granted service connection. The thoracolumbar and bilateral elbow disabilities are remanded for further examination.
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