The Board remands the claim for a back disorder to obtain a clarifying opinion as the current VA opinions are inadequate.
The deciding factor: The August 2023 and December 2023 VA opinions are found to be inadequate due to reliance on the absence of post-service treatment records and not considering the Veteran's lay statements regarding pain and difficulty bending and lifting.
- Claimed conditions
- back disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25026797
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 the appeal for all service connection and rating issues, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these matters.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for pes planus (flat feet) and remanded several other issues, including service connection for various disorders and increased ratings for the right knee. The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right knee instability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, back disorder, and neuropathy as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for further development and verification of any additional periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.