The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing VA treatment records and providing an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of his back disability.
The deciding factor: Additional development is needed as there may be missing VA treatment records and the current opinions do not fully address all aspects of the Veteran's claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc and joint disease of the lumbar spine, Disability characterized by numbness in the arms and legs
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 15, 2017
- Citation
- 1707806
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 1707806.
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 restored the Veteran's disability rating for his lumbar spine disability from 40% to 40%, effective August 31, 2020. The reduction was improper due to lack of actual improvement in the Veteran's condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for degenerative disc and joint disease of the lumbar spine due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a VA examination and another, adequate, VA addendum opinion to properly rate his lumbar spine disability due to insufficient reasoning in the August 2024 VA medical opinion.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
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