The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's hypertension and service connection claims, as well as his increased rating and TDIU claims. The issues will be remanded to allow for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that there are insufficient medical opinions regarding the nature of the Veteran's back and radiculopathy disabilities, as well as the etiology of his hypertension. Additional examinations and opinions are needed to clarify these matters.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertension, Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) with Invertebral Disc Syndrome (IVDS) and Mechanical Low Back Pain, Radiculopathy of the Right Lower Extremity, Radiculopathy of the Left Lower Extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2023
- Citation
- 23021511
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 23021511.
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 claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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