The Board has remanded the case due to changes in the rating criteria for spinal disabilities and a need for additional examinations.
The deciding factor: The VA needs to ensure compliance with VCAA requirements, provide proper notice of evidence needed, and obtain relevant medical records. Additionally, the veteran should be provided with orthopedic and neurologic evaluations to assess his low back disability under the new rating criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- spondylolisthesis, L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 7, 2004
- Citation
- 0411995
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 0411995.
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 granted a 40 percent disability rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability since September 26, 2024.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability to obtain additional medical evidence regarding the severity of his condition without the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities from March 1, 2021, and an effective date of March 1, 2021, for eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.
- Dismissed
The appeal of the November 2024 non-final rating decision, deferring the adjudication of the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis, was dismissed.
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