The Veteran's back disability, including compression fractures of thoracolumbar spine, degenerative joint disease of thoracolumbar spine, and degenerative joint disease of thoracic spine/lumbar spine, is remanded for a new VA examination to evaluate the current level of severity and any additional complications, particularly neurological impairment of the left upper extremity.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's back disability has worsened since his last VA examination, necessitating a new evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- compression fractures of thoracolumbar spine, degenerative joint disease of thoracolumbar spine, degenerative joint disease of thoracic spine/lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19142135
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,287 · Granted: 23% (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 19142135.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine degenerative joint disease was rated at 20% effective March 20, 2013.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his thoracolumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent prior to April 3, 2006 and 40 percent thereafter.
- Denied
The veteran's disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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