The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, and his TDIU claim is granted effective September 13, 2018. The issue of an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar spine DDD and disc disease with compression fracture at L4 is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities significantly limit his ability to sit for prolonged periods and interfere with his activities of daily living, including dressing himself fully and reaching for or grabbing things.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative joint disease (DDD), disc disease with compression fracture at L4, right and left lower extremity radiculopathies of the sciatic and femoral nerves
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19144696
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 622 · Granted: 17% (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 19144696.
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 Board has remanded the claim for service connection of a lumbar spine disability due to inadequate compliance with prior remand directives and the need for additional VA medical opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral lower extremity radiculopathies and an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a finding of secondary service connection, and also concluded that the current ratings were appropriate.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine DJD and DDD are service connected.,The Board has also determined that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity is secondary to his now service-connected lumbar spine DJD and DDD. ,Similarly, the Board has determined that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity is also secondary to his now service-connected lumbar spine DJD and DDD.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a disability rating greater than 40 percent for lumbar spine DJD and DDD was denied as there has been no ankylosis, unfavorable or otherwise, of the thoracolumbar or entire spine during the appeal period. The Veteran's TDIU claim is addressed in the REMAND portion.
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