The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records related to his low back disability, scheduling a VA spine examination, and considering referral for extraschedular evaluation.
The deciding factor: The Board previously denied the Veteran's claim in December 2015. The Joint Motion granted by the Court vacated this decision and remanded it for further consideration due to inadequacies in the April 2015 VA examination, lack of obtained private treatment records, and need for consideration of extraschedular evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 2, 2017
- Citation
- 1706438
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 1706438.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine and granted a 20 percent rating, but no higher, for left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Denied
The Board denied entitlement to a rating in excess of 40 percent for the Veteran's back disability, finding that the evidence did not support an increased rating even when considering flare-ups and functional limitations.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine as proximately due to changes in gait resulting from the Veteran's service connected left ankle and right knee disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.