The Board remands the claim for service connection for chronic back pain due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically the Veteran's no-show to a VA examination without proper notice.
The deciding factor: A remand is necessary to ensure that the Veteran receives an appropriate medical examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his chronic back pain.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic back pain
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 1, 2025
- Citation
- A25056909
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including left hip pain, right hip strain, left knee strain (claimed as instability), and right knee strain (claimed as instability) due to a lack of evidence supporting their direct relationship with his active military service. The claims for chronic plantar fasciitis, bilateral; right ankle strain; right shoulder strain; and chronic back pain were also denied.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection and rating issues related to various conditions, including obesity, chronic renal dysfunction/kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, Grave's disease, chronic liver disease, TMJ disorder, sleep apnea, back pain, dermatographic urticaria residuals from anthrax vaccine, and hemorrhoids.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic nephritis, back pain, left and right leg and knee pain, insomnia, and nausea as there was no evidence of a current disability during the appeal period or proximate thereto.
- Dismissed
The veteran has withdrawn the appeal for service connection for chronic back pain, a right fused toe, tendonitis of the left ring finger, and PTSD, memory loss, ADHD, and anxiety.
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