The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is being remanded due to the need for extra-schedular consideration. The August 2005 VA opinion indicates that the veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as a result of his back disability.
The deciding factor: The claim requires an evaluation by the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extra-schedular considerations due to the veteran's unemployability resulting from his service-connected low back disability.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 14, 2006
- Citation
- 0624991
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 0624991.
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
Service connection for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbosacral spine is granted. The Veteran's current DDD is related to an in-service back injury caused by a hard helicopter landing.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for DJD of the right knee and DDD of the lumbosacral spine, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under the applicable criteria.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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