The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to August 1, 2017, for service connection for left and right upper extremity radiculopathy are denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability is granted with an effective date of August 1, 2017.,The Veteran's claims for secondary service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee disability, and right knee disability are granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disability and right shoulder disability are remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a headache disability is remanded.
The deciding factor: No exceptions to the general rule apply. In light of the finality of the prior rating decision, the appropriate effective date for the award of service connection is August 1, 2017.,The Veteran's low back disability was found to be due to her service-connected cervical spine disability.,Bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee disability, and right knee disability were found to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability.,No medical evidence supports a finding that the bilateral shoulder disabilities are related to service or service-connected conditions. The Veteran's claims for these disabilities are remanded.,The Veteran's headache disability was not found to be due to service, but her claim for secondary service connection is also remanded.
- Claimed conditions
- left upper extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy, low back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee disability, right knee disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, headache disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2023
- Citation
- 23058051
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 23058051.
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 right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims regarding entitlement to service connection for a headache disability and entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 29, 2014, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for right tibiofibular ligament strain are being remanded due to the need for additional development.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
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