The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for thoracolumbar degenerative joint disease were denied. The case is remanded due to the need to develop evidence related to bilateral knee disabilities.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on existing medical records and the Veteran's service connection theory, which was direct. No exposure basis or PACT Act issues were identified.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19117947
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,987 · Granted: 15% (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 19117947.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim due to new evidence associated with the file, and the case will be reviewed by the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ).
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for thoracolumbar degenerative joint disease, L5-S1 disc narrowing, and T12-S1 osteophytes is granted with an effective date of January 1, 2014.
- Granted
The Veteran's disability rating for thoracolumbar degenerative joint disease was restored to 40 percent effective from August 1, 2019.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected thoracolumbar degenerative joint disease, degenerative disc disease, and chronic mechanical strain has been denied. The Board also found that a TDIU on an extraschedular basis from January 26, 2011 to October 24, 2012 is warranted.
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