The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back disability and left-hand middle finger disability due to inadequate compliance with previous remand instructions. The VA is required to provide an addendum medical opinion regarding the onset of the Veteran's current low back disabilities, including pain, spasm, and spondylosis, as well as his pre-existing left-hand middle finger scar.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there has not been substantial compliance with previous remand instructions for both issues, necessitating another remand to address the omissions in the medical opinions provided.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disability, Left-hand middle finger scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2023
- Citation
- 23017476
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 23017476.
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 low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected low back disability alone does not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hip disability, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluation and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to address the severity of his low back disability, including whether he has experienced incapacitating episodes of IVDS.
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