The Board remands the service connection claim for a low back injury due to an inaccurate negative nexus opinion and the need for further development of the record.
The deciding factor: The February 2018 VA examiner's opinion was found to be based on an inaccurate factual premise and lacked supporting rationale, necessitating a new opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- low back injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2023
- Citation
- 23001697
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 service connection for a neck injury, left shoulder injury, and low back injury as the evidence did not support that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for low back injury, denied service connection for sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, and denied a higher disability rating for PTSD. The claim for service connection for pain of left shoulder was remanded.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for service connection for a bilateral knee injury and low back injury, and these issues are therefore dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a low back injury to the RO for initial consideration of new and relevant evidence.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.