The Veteran's claim for service connection for a recurrent cervical spine disability other than the service-connected nonmalignant schwannoma residuals with cervical spine laminectomy residuals is denied. The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 9, 2022, for the award of service connection for major depressive disorder with psychotic features and bruxism is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has not provided competent medical evidence to support his claim for a recurrent cervical spine disability other than the service-connected post-operative cervical spine disability. The effective date for service connection cannot be earlier than the date entitlement arose, which in this case would be the date of receipt of the December 13, 2022 application.
- Claimed conditions
- recurrent cervical spine disability, major depressive disorder with psychotic features and bruxism
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2026
- Citation
- A26009486
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 A26009486.
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 Board has remanded the case due to a lack of proper notice and is now required to provide the Veteran with a pre-decisional hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to incomplete records, including a lack of color photographs of his scars. The claims are being returned to the agency that made the initial decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and relationship of the claimed disabilities to active service.
- Granted
The appeal was granted as the February 2021 Decision Review Request: Higher-Level Review, VA Form 20-996, was timely filed within one year of the January 2021 Agency of Original Jurisdiction determination.
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