The Veteran's lumbar and thoracic spine conditions are being remanded for further evaluation due to inadequate previous examination.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to adequately assess the Veteran’s disability in terms of flare-ups, which may affect his current rating.
- Claimed conditions
- contusion of the lumbar spine, degenerative changes in the thoracic spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 14, 2018
- Citation
- 18126061
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 18126061.
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.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability, including lumbosacral strain, contusion of the lumbar spine, and spondylosis of the lumbar spine, did not meet the criteria for service connection as it was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's thoracic spine disability warrants a 20 percent rating, as per the current schedular criteria.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for residuals of fractured T 7 & T 8 ribs on the left side to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's in-service injury and current thoracic spinal pathology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the veteran's current back disability is related to service and, if so, whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected left inguinal hernia.
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.