The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the weight of the evidence does not support a finding that his current condition is related to active service.,Service connection for a bilateral eye disorder is also denied. The Veteran did not provide credible evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and post-service records do not show continuity of symptomatology since service.,The claim for service connection for a neck disorder is remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine the etiology of the condition.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) is also remanded. The Veteran's contention that he engaged in substance abuse and other misconduct to cope with mental health symptoms in service must be addressed.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of a current back disorder, and the weight of the evidence does not support a finding that his current condition is related to active service.,There was no credible evidence of an in-service eye injury or disease. The Veteran's post-service records do not show continuity of symptomatology since service.,The VA examiner found insufficient evidence to determine the etiology of the neck disorder, and thus the claim must be remanded for further examination.,The Veteran's contention that he engaged in substance abuse and other misconduct to cope with mental health symptoms in service must be addressed as part of the psychiatric examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Disorder, Bilateral Eye Disorder, Neck Disorder, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 1, 2022
- Citation
- 22061040
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 22061040.
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 case due to errors in obtaining medical records and for an additional medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's back disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension is granted service connection, but his right ear hearing loss and back disorder claims are remanded for further evaluation.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for a back disorder as new and relevant evidence was not received, despite previous denials.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in obtaining service records and providing an adequate examination. The Veteran's back disorder claim will be reconsidered with these issues addressed.
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