The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining updated medical records and arranging for a VA examination to assess the severity of the veteran's low back disability. The RO is also instructed to consider whether an extraschedular evaluation or a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities are warranted.
The deciding factor: The case was remanded due to changes in the rating criteria for spine conditions and concerns about proper application of these revisions, as well as issues related to the severity of the veteran's low back disability and its impact on employment.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of low back strain with degenerative changes and nerve root irritation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 26, 2004
- Citation
- 0420145
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 0420145.
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.
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- Denied
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- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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