The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and providing VCAA notice. The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine is being reviewed, as well as his intertwined claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine.
The deciding factor: The case was remanded due to procedural issues and the need for additional development under the VCAA.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2004
- Citation
- 0407174
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 362 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0407174.
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 Veteran's right ear hearing loss, cervical strain, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine have been granted service connection. The claim for an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his service-connected disabilities, as well as the relationship between his current conditions and military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to their death.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including major depressive disorder, is granted as service connected. The lumbar spine disability is remanded for further examination and opinion.
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