The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion from a VA examiner regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lower back disability. The Veteran is asked to provide any private medical records and undergo an additional VA examination.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not consider lay evidence presented by the Veteran, which may be competent and sufficient to establish the presence of observable symptomatology.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc and joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 14, 2018
- Citation
- 18126413
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18126413.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examinations provided were inadequate for adjudication purposes and remanded the case to obtain further clarification of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, including his lay statements regarding incapacitating episodes and flare-ups. The Board also requested additional medical records from private providers.
- Whole decision: Granted
Service connection granted for osteoarthritis of lumbosacral spine and degenerative disc and joint disease of the neck.,The Veteran's current conditions are related to her in-service motor vehicle accident.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's appeal was denied for ratings higher than the current assigned ratings for low back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was found to not warrant a rating in excess of 40 percent prior to August 24, 2017, and a rating in excess of 50 percent thereafter.
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