The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of increased ratings for his lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, as well as his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
The deciding factor: The evidence indicates that the Veteran’s lumbar and cervical spine disabilities may have worsened in severity, necessitating further examination to determine their current state.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes (lumbar spine disability), anterior fusion of C5-6 (previously rated as whiplash injury to the cervical spine with degenerative changes) (cervical spine disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19148610
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,020 · Granted: 19% (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 19148610.
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.
- Denied
For the rating period from January 14, 2008 to January 23, 2009, an increased disability rating in excess of 20 percent for the lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes (lumbar spine disability) is denied.,For the rating period from January 23, 2009 forward, an increased disability rating in excess of 40 percent for the lumbar spine disability is denied.,A higher initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied.,A higher initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy is denied.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's stroke is not etiologically related to his active service or service-connected disabilities. The claim for secondary service connection for a stroke remains denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, and denied his increased rating claims for lumbar spine disability and cervical spine disability. The Veteran was also denied TDIU.
- 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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