The Board has determined that the current medical examination is insufficient for rating purposes and has ordered a new examination to determine the severity of the appellant's service-connected lumbar spine disability. The case will be remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The April 2017 private DBQ was found to be insufficient for rating purposes due to its deficiencies in describing the impact of flare-ups and functional loss, as well as the lack of a description of further diagnostic testing needed.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD), with disc herniation and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), with lower extremity sensory deficits
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 12, 2017
- Citation
- 1745297
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 1745297.
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
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- Granted
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