The Board has determined that the VA examination opinions are not adequate to decide the claims and has ordered additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and requesting an opinion from a VA examiner regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found the previous opinions inadequate due to lack of consideration of the June 1974 car accident and whether the scoliosis is a congenital defect or disease, as well as the need for an opinion on aggravation if applicable.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar spine condition, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, scoliosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2022
- Citation
- 22065112
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 22065112.
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 lung disorder and scoliosis, finding that the evidence did not support the existence of separate and distinct conditions from his already service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a left shoulder condition, thoracolumbar spine condition, and cervical spine condition as they are directly related to the Veteran's active military service.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating for asbestosis with bilateral pleural plaques and dismissed the appeal for service connection for scoliosis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, as there is no current disability. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine are remanded due to inadequate examination reports.
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