The Board has remanded the claims for lower back disability, pleurisy, and restless leg syndrome due to inconsistencies in the separation examination report and incomplete testing. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The separation examination report was not reviewed by the examiner, leading to inconsistent findings regarding the Veteran's claimed disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- lower back disability (lumbago), pleurisy, restless leg syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2023
- Citation
- 23022003
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 23022003.
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 right knee disability, restless leg syndrome, and respiratory disability due to lack of evidence showing in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for pleurisy and emphysema was granted with an effective date of September 20, 2024. The Board found that the Veteran continuously pursued the claim since September 20, 2024.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for pleurisy was dismissed because the VA Form 10182, which requested review of the denial of pleurisy service connection, constituted an impermissible concurrent election with his supplemental claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the onset and etiology of his left ankle sprain, pleurisy, and right shoulder disability. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional lay statements from the Veteran and a fellow servicemember, as well as an addendum opinion from a VA or private clinician.
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