The case is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining medical records and notifying the veteran of recent changes in the rating schedule for evaluating disabilities of the spine. The RO should consider all evidence and regulations before readjudicating the issues.
The deciding factor: The Board requested that the RO obtain the veteran's VA Vocational Rehabilitation file and medical records associated with his prior employment, but no attempt has been made to do so. Additionally, the most recent changes in the rating schedule for evaluating disabilities of the spine became effective, and the RO should consider these changes before readjudicating the case.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral disc herniation, L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2005
- Citation
- 0501152
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,435 · Granted: 22% (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 0501152.
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
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