The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a low back disability and an acquired psychiatric disability due to insufficient medical evidence. The Veteran is entitled to a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of her claimed conditions, including whether they are related to service or any period of ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient medical evidence to decide the claims without further development, specifically obtaining personnel records for all periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA) and a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease, Arthritis of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19117871
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,249 · Granted: 37% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19117871.
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: Denied
The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the claim for a higher rating is denied. The left shoulder disability is also rated at 20 percent, but there are no incapacitating episodes to warrant a higher rating under the IVDS Formula. The TDIU claim is remanded.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease prior to August 1, 2025 was denied as the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine.,The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy prior to March 10, 2025 were denied as there is no neurological impairment associated with these conditions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran seeks higher initial ratings for his back disability, but the VA examinations from the period under review are inadequate. The Board finds that remand is necessary to obtain an opinion as to the severity and manifestations of the Veteran's back disability during the period under review.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that there was no evidence of chronicity or continuity of symptomatology since service and concluding that his current disabilities are more likely related to an in-service injury than to his military service.
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