The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, including degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine (L5-S1), is being remanded due to inadequate development and need for additional examination.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address the March 2007 diagnosis of degenerative disc disease and the MRI findings. The Veteran's claim requires a thorough review of these records and an updated opinion regarding service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disorder, to include degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine (L5-S1)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 19, 2014
- Citation
- 1437158
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 1437158.
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 ordered a remand to ensure compliance with prior remands and to obtain an addendum opinion from the VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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