The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for arthritis and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine is being remanded due to a lack of proper examination findings. The VA needs to arrange for an updated VA examination that includes range of motion testing, assesses neurological manifestations, and considers any change in severity since the effective date.
The deciding factor: The VA failed to conduct a thorough examination as required by Correia v. McDonald (2016), which mandates joint testing on passive motion, weight bearing, and non-weight bearing for proper evaluation of musculoskeletal disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis, degenerative disc disease (DDD), lumbar spine status post laminectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19126628
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 19126628.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board remands the claims for service connection for an eye condition, hearing loss, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes due to a regulatory duty to assist error.
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