The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to obtain private medical records and a VA examination. The issues of service connection, evaluation, and TDIU are inextricably intertwined.
The deciding factor: The decision cannot be finalized without obtaining updated private treatment records and conducting a comprehensive VA examination to address the current status of the Veteran's low back disability and any additional conditions or manifestations.
- Claimed conditions
- low back pain with degenerative changes, degenerative disc disease of the low back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 8, 2012
- Citation
- 1220162
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 1220162.
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 remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and duty-to-assist errors. The issues include bullous disorder/hypertrophic keloid scars, left knee septic condition as secondary to bullous disorder/hypertrophic keloid scars, acquired psychiatric disorders, high blood pressure, arthritis of the lower extremities, degenerative disc disease of the low back, and jaw/speech impairment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's reports of retirement and the need for a new extraschedular opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including severance of service connection for radiculopathy and ratings for back strain and knee conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back condition, bilateral knee disability, and tinnitus have been granted service connection.,Service connection has also been established for degenerative disc disease of the low back, a meniscal tear with degenerative changes in bilateral knees, an anterior cruciate ligament tear in the right knee, and PTSD.
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