The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's back condition and whether his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities caused or aggravated obesity, which in turn may have caused his back condition.
The deciding factor: The VA opinions did not address the direct service connection inquiry and consider the Veteran's service treatment records from May 1980 that indicate reports of back pain due to lifting heavy objects. The Board also found that as the evidence of record raises obesity as a possible intermediate step in the development of his back condition as it relates to his bilateral knee disability symptoms, a remand is necessary for a VA opinion addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities caused obesity and if so, whether obesity was a substantial factor in causing or aggravating the Veteran's back condition.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain (back condition)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2026
- Citation
- A26033482
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 A26033482.
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 has restored the 10 percent disability rating for an adjustment disorder and the 20 percent disability rating for a back condition, effective June 1, 2025. The Veteran's claims of increased ratings are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and examination regarding his back condition, right shoulder condition, right ankle condition, migraine headaches, and urinary frequency. The Veteran is not entitled to an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for a back condition, including as secondary to his service-connected right hip disability. The Veteran's current back condition is less likely than not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected right hip disability. An addendum medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's back condition is aggravated by his service-connected right hip disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, left knee strain, right knee strain, and PTSD due to inadequate medical opinions. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other claims.
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