The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for low back syndrome with degenerative osteoarthritis due to conflicting medical opinions and a need for additional development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous examiner's opinion was based on an inaccurate factual premise, specifically the 40-year gap between the Veteran's slip-and-fall during service and his current back problems. The Board also noted that VA has a duty to assist in obtaining relevant medical records from Fort Hood Army Hospital.
- Claimed conditions
- low back syndrome with degenerative osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 12, 2022
- Citation
- 22045893
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 22045893.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for low back syndrome with degenerative osteoarthritis has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The case is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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