The Veteran's appeal includes claims for higher ratings for his service-connected low back disability and a TDIU. The Board has determined that the initial rating claim should be remanded due to conflicting opinions regarding the nature of the Veteran’s disabilities, including whether DDD is part of his service-connected low back strain. A new VA examination is needed to clarify the severity of his low back disability, including any associated objective neurologic abnormalities.
The deciding factor: The Board found conflicting medical opinions and determined that a remand was necessary to clarify the nature of the Veteran's disabilities and their impact on his functional impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- low back strain, degenerative disc disease (DDD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19120503
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,676 · Granted: 24% (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 19120503.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including the one for an increased rating for low back strain.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for athletes' foot, low back strain, and plantar fasciitis due to a lack of a VA examination prior to the August 2020 rating decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative disc disease, intervertebral disc syndrome, spinal stenosis, and bilateral lower extremity sciatica have been granted as they are related to his active duty service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a low back strain has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of this issue.
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