The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for cervical spine DJD and thoracolumbar spine DDD as they have not been evaluated in over five years, and additional development is needed.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations of the Veteran's spinal conditions were last conducted in November 2013, which is more than five years ago. The Veteran has alleged that his service-connected disabilities have worsened since then.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine degenerative joint disease (DJD), thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19113498
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,319 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19113498.
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 a restoration of the 40 percent disability rating for thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease and an initial 70 percent disability rating for unspecified bipolar and related disorder, along with a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected unspecified bipolar and related disorder alone.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for additional medical examination to address deficiencies in the current evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted initial ratings for cervical spine DJD, right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, lumbar DJD, and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied higher ratings for right hip limitation of flexion and extension.
- Denied
The Board denied increased disability ratings for the Veteran's right and left foot disabilities, migraine headaches, cervical spine degenerative joint disease, and posttraumatic stress disorder at any point during the appeal period.
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