The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the relationship between the Veteran's current back and stomach conditions and his military service. The missing medical records will be obtained, and a new VA examination will be conducted to assess whether these conditions are related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that there are gaps in the medical record from 1986 to 2015 which may affect the determination of the Veteran's current back and stomach conditions. Therefore, additional development is necessary to obtain these records and provide a new opinion on their relationship to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine, Stomach Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2023
- Citation
- 23013423
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 23013423.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD due to MST and low back pain are granted. The case is remanded for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and degenerative arthritis of the spine due to a duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran is eligible for enrollment in the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) based on his service-connected conditions. However, due to a legal inadequacy and the need for a more detailed medical opinion, the case must be remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, back and foot conditions, precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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