The Veteran's claim for service connection of a thoracolumbar spine disability has been reopened and will be considered on the merits. The Board finds that new evidence submitted since April 2012 raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,The Veteran's claim for service connection of hyperthyroidism was not reopened as there is no new and material evidence to support it.
The deciding factor: The September 2018 VA medical opinion regarding the thoracolumbar spine disability was deemed inadequate due to its reliance on the absence of contemporaneous records, lack of consideration of the Veteran's lay statements, and conclusory nature.,The evidence submitted since April 2012 for hyperthyroidism is largely cumulative and does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to establish the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar spine disability, hyperthyroidism
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23018825
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 23018825.
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 Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities due to a predecisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's past medical history needs to be considered in the new examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disorder, gout, multiple painful joints, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as directly related to service.,The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability and cervical spine disability are both granted as directly related to service.,Both conditions were found to be at least as likely as not caused by the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.
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