The veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected lumbar sprain is being remanded due to the need to consider revised rating criteria and obtain additional medical examination.
The deciding factor: The case requires consideration of newly amended VA regulations regarding spine disabilities, as well as obtaining updated medical evidence to assess current manifestations of the veteran's service-connected lumbar sprain.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 9, 2004
- Citation
- 0432646
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 0432646.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran argues that he should have been granted service connection for lumbar sprain and hearing loss as early as 1965 based on his STRs showing these conditions existed in service. The Board finds the RO's failure to adjudicate this CUE claim was an error and remands the matter.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of October 2, 2015 for the grant of service connection for lumbar sprain and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to good cause shown for the Veteran's failure to file a Notice of Disagreement within one year of the initial denial.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for her hip and lumbar sprain conditions, finding that the evidence did not support higher disability ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a lumbar sprain and left lower extremity radiculopathy, femoral nerve to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the severity of these disabilities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.