The Board has found that the Veteran submitted a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) with the June 2018 rating decision, but an SOC has not yet been issued. The case is being remanded to issue an SOC and allow the Veteran to perfect his appeal by submitting a VA Form 9.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran submitted a timely NOD but no SOC had been issued, which requires the issuance of an SOC before further action can be taken on the claims.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, DDD (Degenerative Disc Disease), stenosis, spondylosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2022
- Citation
- 22029317
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 22029317.
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 remanded the case due to a lack of evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and an incomplete record of chiropractic care. The Veteran is requested to provide or authorize VA to obtain his treatment records from chiropractors, and an addendum opinion will be provided by a VA examiner.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis, lumbar retrolisthesis, a vertebral fracture, and DDD (back disability), as well as right and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the back disability. The decision is based on evidence showing an in-service fall causing a back injury that led to current diagnoses.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for DDD and central canal stenosis of the lumbar spine, finding that the appellant's current disability is at least as likely caused by his in-service injury.
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