The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and the acquisition of SSA records to determine the severity of his service-connected back condition, which may affect his TDIU claim.
The deciding factor: The examination was not adequate for rating purposes due to incomplete information about flare-ups and functional loss during motion tests.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18157124
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 18157124.
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 granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome and denied an initial compensable disability rating for tinea pedis of the right foot.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome is granted an increased rating to 40 percent, and no higher, as of May 4, 2021. The Veteran is also granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation at the '(l)' rate.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Granted
The Veteran's rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome was reduced from 20 percent to 10 percent, effective March 1, 2023. The Board found this reduction improper and restored the original 20 percent rating.
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