The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting VA examinations to evaluate the veteran's lumbar spine disability and any left leg disability. The veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on the new rating criteria that became effective in September 2003.
The deciding factor: The Board has determined that the case requires further development due to changes in evaluation criteria, need for additional medical records, and potential need for a VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine injury with degenerative changes and degenerative disc disease, left leg disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 23, 2005
- Citation
- 0526301
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 0526301.
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 Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right leg disabilities due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if any current left or right leg disabilities are related to active service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, cervical spine disability, low back disability, left shoulder disability, and left leg disability. The decision is based on the Veteran's active duty service and his current disabilities are found to be related to these service events.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, back disability, left leg disability, left knee disability, and hypertension. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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.