The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back disorder and related conditions due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's duty status in May 2006 and the etiology of his claimed back disorder.
The deciding factor: The claims are remanded because the Veteran's official duty status during an alleged back injury in May 2006 needs verification, and a VA examination is required to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed back disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- back disorder, memory loss, claimed as secondary to a back disorder, substance and alcohol abuse disorder, claimed as secondary to a back disorder, hypertension, claimed as secondary to a substance and alcohol abuse disorder, varicose veins of the left lower extremity (LLE), claimed as secondary to a substance and alcohol abuse disorder, varicose veins of the right lower extremity (RLE), claimed as secondary to a substance and alcohol abuse disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity (LUE), claimed as secondary to a substance and alcohol abuse disorder, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), claimed as secondary to a substance and alcohol abuse disorder, bilateral foot disorder, claimed as secondary to a substance and alcohol abuse disorder, erectile dysfunction, claimed as secondary to a substance and alcohol abuse disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25054352
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
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