The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lower back condition, but remanded the issues of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with MDD, service connection for cervical spine condition, and TDIU due to lack of recent medical records and outdated examination reports.,Further, the Board found that there is at least an approximate balance of evidence regarding whether the Veteran's lower back condition is related to his active-duty service.
The deciding factor: The decision was remanded because the most recent VA treatment records are from over four years ago and the last examination for PTSD were conducted over four years ago, indicating a need for updated medical records and examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- lower back condition, cervical spine condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 11, 2023
- Citation
- 23055492
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 23055492.
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 Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for both a lower back condition and a cervical spine condition, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for treatment purposes only under Chapter 17 for various conditions, including cervical spine condition, right upper extremity nerve condition, left upper extremity nerve condition, headache condition, right wrist condition, left wrist condition, right elbow condition, left elbow condition, right shoulder condition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), bilateral pes planus, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and left knee disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lower back condition, including thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease other than IVDS. The decision finds that the Veteran's current disability is causally related to his military service due to an accident during training in 1963.
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