The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for spondylolisthesis with degenerative arthritis of the spine due to insufficient evidence in the claims file, particularly regarding recent medical records.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for updated VA treatment records and a new examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine condition.
- Claimed conditions
- spondylolisthesis with degenerative arthritis of the spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19136803
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,548 · Granted: 31% (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 19136803.
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.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for their low back condition from March 19, 2021 onwards was denied. The Board remanded the claims for a higher rating and TDIU prior to March 19, 2021 for further development.
- Granted
The Board has restored service connection for spondylolisthesis with degenerative arthritis of the spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the original severance decisions were improper due to clear and unmistakable error.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected low back disability is rated at 40 percent since March 19, 2021. The appeal for a higher rating prior to that date and for the right and left lower extremity radiculopathy issues remains pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbosacral strain and spondylolisthesis with degenerative arthritis of the spine requires further development due to inadequate examination, lack of consideration of lay evidence, and need for additional medical records.
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