The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. §1151 due to inadequate medical opinions in previous decisions.
The deciding factor: The previous VA addendum opinions did not provide a reasoned medical explanation connecting the supporting data and conclusions regarding the Veteran's conditions necessary for adequate opinions under 38 U.S.C. §5103A.
- Claimed conditions
- spinal stenosis, lumbar scoliosis, disc protrusion with mass effect at the L4 to L5 level, peripheral nerve impairment, sciatica, radiculopathy, muscle atrophy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 17, 2023
- Citation
- 23016372
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 23016372.
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 appeal for a compensable disability rating for service-connected migraine headaches is remanded due to the need for further evaluation and consideration.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative disc disease, intervertebral disc syndrome, spinal stenosis, and bilateral lower extremity sciatica have been granted as they are related to his active duty service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability, diagnosed as lumbar strain, spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, is causally related to service. As such, service connection for this condition is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for SMC based on loss of use of both lower extremities is being remanded due to a failure to obtain relevant private medical records. The AOJ will consider these records when readjudicating the claim.
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