The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and further examination.
The deciding factor: Additional pertinent VA treatment records are needed, particularly from before 2005, which may contain information relevant to the etiology of the Veteran's current back condition. The Veteran also needs a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disability was aggravated by a post-service motor vehicle accident.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 9, 2014
- Citation
- 1440165
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 1440165.
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
The Board has granted earlier effective dates of January 13, 2020 for the service connection of low back disability and related radiculopathy issues. The Veteran's claims were reopened due to new evidence submitted in January 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis and right hip degenerative arthritis, status post total hip arthroplasty, secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disabilities due to incomplete etiological opinions.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) are granted effective May 12, 2025. The decision is based on the combination of his service-connected disabilities rendering him unemployable as of that date.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease, left knee chondromalacia, and right knee chondromalacia due to new evidence submitted since the last denial.
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