The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a new VA examination and for further development of the claims.
The deciding factor: The most recent VA examination was conducted in October 2009, which may not be considered contemporaneous due to significant time passing since then. The Veteran has contended that his service-connected spine disabilities have significantly worsened since this examination.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic degenerative joint disease of the thoracic spine, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, lumbar radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, scar, lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 16, 2016
- Citation
- 1632516
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 1632516.
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 Veteran's hypertension, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The lumbar spine disability has also been granted but the effective date is not specified.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for various conditions, including allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, lower extremity radiculopathies, and left lower extremity radiculopathy with foot drop. The issues include determining if these conditions are related to service or other factors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a failure by the AOJ to notify the Veteran of his right to a pre-decisional hearing before the AOJ.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment since June 30, 2018. The Board has granted a TDIU effective July 1, 2018.
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