The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to issues with the reduction in rating for his service-connected back disability. The increased rating claim and the issue regarding the reduction are intertwined and need to be addressed separately.
The deciding factor: The decision on reducing the disability rating was not properly addressed in the previous SOC, necessitating a new Statement of the Case (SOC).
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease, lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 8, 2018
- Citation
- 1827838
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 1827838.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings and service connection claims due to a withdrawal of appeal by his authorized representative.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for an increased rating in excess of 40 percent for degenerative joint disease, lumbosacral spine as the appellant requested to withdraw his appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied in September 2013 due to lack of corroborated stressors. The RO reopened the claim in February 2015 and again denied it, finding no new and material evidence. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine is remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's low back disability, specifically whether it is related to service. The Veteran claims his current condition began during deployment in Iraq.
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