The Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability renders him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board grants TDIU on an extra-schedular basis.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran has significant limitation with range of motion at his thoracolumbar spine and pain, preventing him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19118702
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (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 19118702.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities of right and left knee, right and left foot, and thoracolumbar spine are not service-connected as they were not shown to be incurred or aggravated during his military service.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal of the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) as it was fully addressed in a previous decision.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased disability rating for thoracolumbar spine, service connection for right knee disability, and entitlement to TDIU prior to October 27, 2022 are all remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient examination reports and lack of etiological opinions. The Veteran's complaints of low back pain, left knee arthritis, and cervical spine DDD are being reviewed again.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.