The Veteran's claim for service connection for left leg numbness secondary to back is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical strain (C6-7) claimed as cervical disc degeneration is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error prior to the rating decision on appeal.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spine, degenerative arthritis (claimed as chronic low back pain) is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error prior to the rating decision on appeal.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of left leg numbness.,The VA examination did not provide a nexus opinion regarding the cervical strain claim, and thus represents a pre-decisional error in the duty to assist that must be corrected on remand.,The VA examination did not provide a nexus opinion regarding the lumbar spine claim, and thus represents a pre-decisional error in the duty to assist that must be corrected on remand.
- Claimed conditions
- left leg numbness, cervical strain (claimed as cervical disc degeneration C6-7), lumbar spine, degenerative arthritis (chronic low back pain)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2023
- Citation
- A23029506
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 A23029506.
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 has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back condition, left hip condition, left leg numbness, left shoulder condition, and acquired psychiatric condition (depression) as secondary to a back injury during service. The evidence did not show current disabilities or a link between these conditions and service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma from August 10, 2022, based on the Veteran's presumed exposure to burn pit smoke during his deployment in Kuwait and Afghanistan.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left leg numbness and left lower extremity neurological dysfunction as secondary to residuals of a left thigh boil removal.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed disabilities as they were incurred during a period of dishonorable discharge.
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