The veteran's appeal is remanded to the RO for a VA examination and readjudication of his claim based on changes in the rating criteria. The case will be returned to the Board if further action is required.
The deciding factor: The decision requires a review of the veteran's low back pain with degenerative changes under the revised criteria effective September 26, 2003, and an evaluation of his condition based on functional limitation due to pain.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back pain with degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2004
- Citation
- 0411807
Veterans Law Judge
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0411807.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an examination to assess the Veteran's low back pain with degenerative changes.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities and their impact on employment. The TDIU claim will also be referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension for initial consideration.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected low back pain with degenerative changes and intervertebral disc syndrome, lumbar spine, as well as radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities were denied. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable VA regulations.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination and additional records, including an MRI of the lumbar spine. The veteran's asthma is also being reviewed as part of this process.
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