The Board has ordered additional development to obtain medical records and an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's low back disability. The case will be remanded for these actions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner needs to provide a more detailed opinion on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's current low back disability, considering all available evidence including his service history and post-service treatment records.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of the lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2016
- Citation
- 1611377
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 1611377.
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 reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral ankle disability. However, these issues are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations. The appeal for an increased rating is denied.
- Dismissed
The appeals for increased ratings have been dismissed due to the appellant's death.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and TDIU prior to July 2, 2008. The evidence did not support the Veteran's claim that his current low back disability was related to service.
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