The Board remands the claim for a lumbosacral strain to schedule an updated VA examination and obtain responsive medical opinions, as the previous VA opinion was found inadequate.
The deciding factor: The December 2021 VA opinion lacked sufficient rationale and failed to consider relevant medical treatise evidence submitted by the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain (claimed as back pain)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 4, 2024
- Citation
- A24063493
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and there are no allegations of error for appellate consideration.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to his active-duty service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, resolving doubt in the Veteran's favor. The other claims are remanded due to a duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral strain, left knee pain, right knee pain, right ankle pain, left ankle pain, and headaches as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disability was remanded due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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