The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations and medical records.
The deciding factor: The current VA examinations do not comply with Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016), as they lack passive range of motion measurements.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19119991
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,435 · Granted: 22% (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 19119991.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment, warranting a TDIU effective December 20, 2000. The Board also remanded the issue of whether a TDIU is warranted prior to December 20, 2000.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has restored the reduced ratings for left and right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, but has remanded other claims including evaluations for ankle fracture, lumbar spine condition, knee conditions, and TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for gout secondary to his service-connected foot disabilities. The case is remanded for further development, including obtaining an addendum from the October 2014 VA examiner and scheduling a VA examination of the Veteran's spine disability.
- Granted
The Board has found that the Veteran's skin disorder and low back disability are related to his active service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.
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