The Board has remanded the case due to an error in obtaining private treatment records that may be relevant to establishing a connection between the Veteran's lumbar spine disorders and his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner identified private treatment records as potentially helpful for determining the etiology of the Veteran's back disorders, but these records were not obtained prior to the decision on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disorder, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, large left lateral focal disc extrusion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2023
- Citation
- A23029708
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 A23029708.
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 remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various hip and lower extremity disorders, including as secondary to a lumbar spine disorder. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further action.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and authorization for private treatment providers. The issues include heart disorder, OSA, sinusitis, lumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder all related to Agent Orange exposure.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating, compensable rating, and extension of temporary total evaluation for his lumbar spine disability have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing all claims in April 2022.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, including degenerative arthritis and IVDS. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service injury during active duty and his continuous symptoms since then.
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